A boil water advisory has been issued for some residents in East Sooke who are on the Wilderness Mountain Water System.
Seventy-one residents located near the top of Mount Matheson are being urged to disinfected household tap water by boiling it vigorously for one-minute.
A map of the area can be found here.
The advisory was issued in consultation with Island Health, and will be removed once Island Health is satisfied that the drinking water does not pose a health concern.
The advisory was issued following elevated turbidity levels.
Turbidity measure the transparency of water due to suspended particulates. The water source impacted is showing an increase in levels due to warmer temperatures that are impacting biology in the lake.
“We recognize this is an inconvenience for the community… it’s not something we will take lightly. We will do all we can to treat the water to make it drinkable again,” said Matthew McCrank, a senior manager with the CRD’s Integrated Water Services.
The CRD will work with their filtration and disinfecting systems, but does not have an exact estimate when tap water will be back to normal levels.
“It’s basically a result of nature. We will continue to operate system as best as we can, the community will know as soon as we know,” said McCrank.
“It is a seasonal thing… we are seeing it more regularly.”
During a Boil Water Advisory, the public should boil all tap water used for drinking, preparing food, beverages, ice cubes, washing fruits and vegetables, or brushing teeth.
As an alternative the public can also use bottled water.
Adults, teens and older children are able to safely wash, bathe or shower. However, they should avoid swallowing the water. Toddlers and infants should be sponge bathed.
More information on what to do during the advisory can be found here
CHEK News
