News just came out that the terrible storms we’ve had, and the vast rainfall of the past week, have resulted in a GVRD-wide water advisory. This is the largest boil water advisory in Vancouver’s history.

There is a boil water advisory due to increased turbidity in the water. Be sure, if you make or go out for coffee, to ensure the water has been boiled or is bottled!!

Press Release:

The GVRD Medical Health Officers are advising that “the turbidity of the drinking water supplied to homes through the water distribution system has reached levels unprecedented in recent years. As turbidity increases, there is a potential for increased risk of gastro-intestinal illness. Until turbidity returns to acceptable levels residents may wish to use an alternate drinking water source (for example: bottled water) or boil their drinking water.

Discolouration of drinking water is a very good indicator of high levels of turbidity. If using boiled water use a kettle and ensure that you allow it to cool before decanting to another container or moving it to the refrigerator.

TAP WATER IS ACCEPTABLE FOR USES OTHER THAN DRINKING, BRUSHING TEETH OR WASHING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

GVRD Staff will continue to monitor water quality closely. This advisory will remain in effect until
the Medical Health Officer is satisfied that drinking water quality has returned to an acceptable
standard.”

GVRD staff advise that turbidity levels in the GVRD’s Capilano and Seymour reservoirs are very high, and less so in the Coquitlam source, as a result of the extremely heavy rainfall experienced in the past several days. The region is currently discharging water from the Capilano and Seymour lakes in an effort to release as much of the turbid water as is possible. Inflow to the reservoirs is, at the moment, experiencing much lower turbidity, although additional impact can be expected from storms forecast for this weekend.

Currently the news is being distributed on the radio, but it has yet to make it to online news sources or other BC health websites.

Tags: , , , , ,