Interior Health issues boil water advisories near Grand Forks, West Boundary

Boil water advisories are in effect for outlying areas of Grand Forks and parts of the West Boundary, the Interior Health Authority announced Aug. 12.

The Grand Forks Irrigation District said a recent test showed bacteria in one of its water systems. The district has since flushed their system, but the advisories are likely to stay for a few days. The district is awaiting the results of another water test, according to district manager Murray Knox.

This district operates three water systems, the Big Y system, most of which supplies Carson Road; one that supplies the Nursery Road area and a third that supplies the Copper Ridge area. Water samples tested by IH showed soil bacteria in the Big Y system, at which point it issued a boil water advisory for that system. Those samples came back negative for the harmful fecal coliform bacterium known as E. coli.

The boil water advisories cover all of Carson Road, its attached side roads and nearby Kenmore Road. Another advisory is in effect for the Nursery Road area, one on North Franklin Road and another at the West Grand Forks RV Park, according to IH’s water advisory website, waterforeveryone.ca.

Affected residents are advised to boil drinking water for at least one minute. This will kill off the harmful microbes, according to IH.

No advisories are in effect for the city’s water system or for the Victorian Motel and RV Park, Kettle River RV Park and campground, or Riviera RV Park.

There is a water quality advisory for the Almond Gardens area. This means residents should know, “there is some level of risk associated with consuming the drinking water due to “unacceptable water quality” associated with waterborne microbes. Water in the area is unsafe to drink, according to IH.

There are no advisories in place for the communities of Christina Lake or Cascade. However, there are boil water advisories in Fife and for the Brewers waterworks north of the incorporated community of Christina Lake.

There are no water advisories of any kind in Greenwood or Midway. There are several boil water advisories in Rock Creek, including the water system that supplies the Rock Creek Health Centre.

IH was not available for comment on Friday, Aug. 13.

For more information, consult IH’s directions listed on the website drinkingwaterforeveryone.ca

**FOR THE RECORD**

The Gazette initially reported that water samples tested by the Interior Health Authority showed “illness-causing” bacteria in parts of water systems operated by the Grand Forks Irrigation District (GFID). Those samples showed the presence of “total coliform” bacteria but did not show the presence of the fecal coliform bacterium, E. Coli.

To reiterate, while E. coli is a type of coliform bacteria, that bacterium was not found in recent water sampled from any part of the GFID’s network.

For more information, consult the BC Government’s information bulletin “Total, Fecal & E. coli Bacteria.”

@ltritsch1 laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.