A boil water advisory for the Mount Shannon area of Little Mountain issued on Friday will remain in effect until Aug. 31, the City of Chilliwack says.
Routine water tests detected the presence of e. coli in the untreated water supply Thursday, and it will remain in place until the readings are clear.
“This is likely due to the extended period of hot weather which creates an environment that encourages the growth of such bacteria,” said David Blain, city director of engineering, in a release.
The water “did not meet acceptable drinking water quality standards due to bacteriological counts (ecoli) detected within the Mount Shannon zone 2 water supply reservoir,” according to the news release.
“The City is taking immediate action to bring water in this supply back to acceptable drinking standards.”
Chlorination and water system flushing was set to get underway to complete the disinfection work and make the water safe for drinking.
Last year the city tested its upgraded equipment and self-contained reservoir system on Little Mountain, with a chlorination test. Boil the water for two minutes at a roiling boil and allow it to cool. A hand-delivered written notice went out to affected residents’ homes.