Boil water notice remains in effect for Riondel

Residents connected to the Riondel Water System are being advised to boil water for at least one minute before consuming it.

File photo

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A boil water notice remains in effect for all users of the Riondel Water System after a mechanical failure disrupted operations at the community’s water treatment plant. The Regional District of Central Kootenay issued the notice Aug. 28 because treatment components had to be bypassed.

The RDCK and Interior Health are advising customers to boil water for at least one minute before using it for drinking, brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, making beverages or preparing ice. Boiled water should be cooled and stored in a clean, covered container, while bottled or distilled water can be used as an alternative.

Owners of public facilities must post the notice at sinks and drinking fountains accessible to the public or turn the fountains and taps off. Facility operators must also advise customers verbally when opportunities arise.

The notice will remain in effect until acceptable results have been received from two consecutive bacteriological tests of the distribution system. The RDCK’s current water-advisories page continued to list the notice as active on Sept. 1.

The Riondel Water System serves 198 active connections in the community on the east shore of Kootenay Lake. It draws water from Indian Creek and normally treats it using membrane filtration followed by chlorine disinfection.

The community’s treatment plant was completed in March 2016. The Aug. 28 public notice does not identify the failed component or provide an estimated date for normal treatment operations to resume.

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