The July 29 boil water notice that was issued to users of the Lac la Hache Water System (LLHWS) due to bacterial contamination found in a routine water test has been lifted.
Cariboo Regional District (CRD) chair Al Richmond said contamination had been detected in the water after a regular test sample showed low levels of fecal coliform.
“We need two clear passes of tests that show no coliform, and then we can reduce or get rid of the boil water advisory,” he told the 100 Mile House Free Press on Aug. 2.
“It’s not like having e-coli or something in the system, the contamination level is extremely low.
“So we chlorinated the system [on July 28], and continue to do that. We acted right away.”
The water system is not normally chlorinated, but in this incidence, it was added to fight and, hopefully, kill this bacteria immediately, while staff investigates the water system, he said.
Richmond explained CRD staff was actively working its way through the system and its various components to determine the cause.
Contamination can happen from a variety of sources, and it may turn out to be a false result due to a sampling error or test bottle contamination, he explained.
There’s nothing that leads us to believe we have a leak or something else in [the system], he said.
Richmond explained the CRD hoped to have the results by Aug. 5, and the boil water notice was lifted around 3:30 p.m. that day.
