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Times-Chronicle Staff
An Osoyoos rural water system which has found E. coli bacteria twice in the past two months has detected no signs of the bacteria in recent tests, however residents are still under a boil water notice as per usual.
The Town of Osoyoos and the Interior Health Authority advised users of Irrigation District System 9 that E. coli bacteria was discovered within the system on April 14 and again on June 3.
As a result the Town of Osoyoos undertook system-wide chlorine residual testing, some system flushing and took additional water quality samples.
For a map of Water System 9 click here
Those additional sample results were received this week and they found no detectable levels of E-coli or total coliform in the agricultural irrigation system. 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 on June 3.
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.
“Residential users of the Agricultural Irrigation Systems 8 and 9 are reminded that they must boil their water prior to consumption and the need to do that is not diminished as a result of test results that don’t indicate any current concern,” the Town of Osoyoos stated.
