Customers of the Beddis Water Service Area were issued a boil water advisory on Sunday due to a break in a major water main.
The Capital Regional District issued the alert Sunday evening. Around 60 customers out of the 127 in the district were without water or had reduced service for a few hours before the main was repaired.
Construction taking place in the upper part of the system is the suspected cause of the damage. As a result of the issue, the CRD issued the boil water advisory in consultation with Island Health for the entire service area.
The advisory will be lifted when Island Health is satisfied the drinking water does not pose a health concern. Residents will be notified as soon as possible when the “all clear” is given, the CRD stated in its alert.
CRD Integrated Water Services’s senior manager Matthew McCrank noted district customers may be feeling frustrated, having undergone a recent boil water advisory following the Dec. 20, 2018 windstorm.
“Certainly the CRD recognizes the inconvenience and we apologize for that, but public safety is our primary concern,” McCrank said. “We have to ensure the integrity of the water supply before we can lift the boil water advisory.”
McCrank said the CRD would undertake flushing and then testing for bacteria on Tuesday and again today (Wednesday, Feb. 20.) They are hoping to hear back from Island Health by Thursday or Friday as to whether the advisory can be removed or if more needs to be done.
Updates can be found on the CRD’s website at crd.bc.ca, or by following the CRD on Twitter. Residents are also encouraged to register with the Public Alert Notification System to receive relevant notices. Sign up https://www.crd.bc.ca/pans.