Water quality advisory lifted

A water quality advisory affecting about 2,000 Southeast Kelowna properties since April 2019 has been lifted. The precautionary advisory was a transitioning measure while incorporating the former SEKID domestic water supply system into the City of Kelowna Water Utility as part of the water integration project.

In consultation with the Interior Health Authority, drinking water supplied to the area through the Cedar Creek distribution system has been monitored, tested, and is consistently showing good results. All businesses and public facilities in the affected area can now remove Water Quality Advisory notifications posted at tap and sink locations.

“The goal of the water integration project was to provide Southeast Kelowna residents with consistent, high quality domestic water that meets all of the Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines year round and we are pleased to be able to say that we have reached that goal,” said Ed Hoppe, Water Quality & Customer Care Supervisor. “We appreciate the patience of local residents as we worked through the construction phase of the project and have received many positive comments about the clear, clean water coming out of the taps.”

There are still a small number of properties that either still receive upland water source due to remote location or require on-site work to connect to the new potable system and remain on a Boil Water Notice. To find a list of affected properties and required precautions, please visit kelowna.ca/water.

Kelowna Integrated Water Phase 1, received an unprecedented senior government grant of $43.9 million to separate agricultural and domestic water systems in Southeast Kelowna and deliver a sustainable water supply to agriculture in the South Mission. The project brought clean drinking water to about 2,000 households and meets Interior Health’s 2025 clean drinking water mandate almost 10 years earlier than planned in Southeast Kelowna. This is the first phase of the City’s vision to see a city-wide integrated water system through the 2017 Kelowna Integrated Water Supply plan.

The former SEKID domestic system is now designated as a non-potable irrigation distribution system that meets Agricultural Water Quality Guidelines and supplies water to local fire hydrants, the majority of farm properties, and those properties having access to the non-potable source.

The City of Kelowna Water Utility operates within municipal boundaries serving approximately 70,000 customers from the Poplar Point, Eldorado, Swick, and Cedar Creek Pump Stations. Residents can use the find your water provider tool at kelowna.ca/water.