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Dale Boyd

Osoyoos Times

Weekly testing has discovered E. coli bacteria Osoyoos’ rural water System 9 once again, in the area which is already under a boil water advisory for some time due to surface water sources.

The Interior Health Authority (IHA) and the Town of Osoyoos is informed users of the Irrigation District System 9 that the June 3 weekly sampling detected E. coli bacteria within the distribution of System 9.

For a map of Water System 9 click here

Bacterial sampling is part of a monitoring program, not an assurance that all the water is or is not safe to drink, the Town of Osoyoos said in a statement.

Osoyoos Lake is a surface water source that is open to contamination from pathogens from a variety of human and animal activities, and at fluctuating levels. Effective and consistent treatment to reduce the risks associated with bacteria, viruses and protozoa is required for all surface water sources.

“Inadequately treated or inadequately protected water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, cramps and associated headaches. E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes,” reads the town’s statement. “Human pathogens in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a greater health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely-compromised immune systems. These symptoms are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.”

Town staff will continue to chlorinate and flush the areas in and around System 9 and have added additional sampling to determine the extent of the problem and will also be conducting a thorough investigation to determine the source of the contamination.

“As you know there is currently a boil water notice already in place.  We ask that you continue to boil your water for at least one minute.  We will inform you when tests show no bacteria, however, you will have to continue boiling your water until the end of irrigation season as we do every year,” the town stated. “We anticipate resolving the problem within a timely manner.”

For more information, please contact the Operational Services Department at 250.495.6213 or email us at [email protected].