As of Tuesday afternoon, the boil water advisory remains in effect for Youbou. The notice was issued by the CVRD on Sept. 1 when routine water sampling uncovered an E. Coli count of 2. Retesting just before the Labour Day long weekend determined the water is actually free of E. coli, however, the testing also detected low levels of total coliform, a kind of “background bacteria.”
According to Brian Dennison, manager of water management at the CVRD, total coliform would not normally warrant a boil water notice, however, Island Health is not taking any chances because of the previous E. Coli result.
Dennison described the results as “a little bit mysterious” because there was chlorine in the water, which should have killed off any bacteria.
“To be perfectly honest we haven’t figured out why,” he said. “It’s a little odd.”
The CVRD took another water sample for testing on Tuesday and expects to have the results back by Thursday, Sept. 8.
Dennison said he expects it will come back clear but until then, the boil water advisory will stay in place.
“We always have to err on the side of precaution,” he said.
“We will continue to work with Island Health until we get an absolute clear result.”
In August, a boil water notice was issued for Mesachie Lake when an E. Coli count of three turned up in the community water system following a routine weekly water sampling.
Dennison said it’s hard to say if there were similar factors causing Youbou’s recent results.
The CVRD recently received funding which will allow it to connect Youbou’s current water system with an existing well.
“That will then provide ground water for all of Youbou. No more surface water,” he said, adding that surface water has a higher chance of presenting bacteria or contaminants than ground water does.
Unlike Youbou, the water system in Mesachie Lake does not rely on any chlorination. August’s boil water notice there was the first in decades.
