Residents in the Cedar Heights area are under a Stage 4 water restriction effective today.
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) will upgrade the UV treatment system at the Cedar Heights water treatment facility from May 6 to May 8.
The CSRD said the existing treatment system has reached the end of its life and replacement parts are no longer manufactured.
To ensure continued safe drinking water into the future, the old UV water disinfection system and associated piping will be removed and replaced with new UV equipment.
The CSRD warned residents that during this work, the water system’s reservoirs cannot be refilled. Residents on the system will continue to have water service; however, the amount of available water will be very limited.
“Residents will need to conserve water, as well as take health precautions with all drinking water,” the CSRD stated.
Under Stage 4 restrictions, residents cannot:
- Water lawns, trees, shrubs or flowers
- Wash vehicles or driveways
- Use water except for essential purposes and must reduce water use as much as possible
The restrictions will remain in place until the upgrade is complete and reservoir refilling can resume.
The CSRD will provide information to users through its website, csrd.bc.ca, the Alertable notification system and CSRD Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The current water quality advisory will be upgraded to a boil water notice beginning Wednesday, when the UV treatment system is taken offline. The boil water notice applies to all water users, not only those who may have weak immune systems or other vulnerabilities.
The CSRD instructed residents on what to do when a boil water notice is issued:
- All water used for drinking, food preparation, brushing teeth or washing dishes must be boiled for at least one minute.
- Alternatively, residents may choose to use another safe water source, such as bottled water.
The boil water notice will remain in effect until the new UV system has been installed, tested and water sampling confirms that water from the tap is safe to consume.
The UV testing and water sampling process is expected to take several weeks following installation.
Further updates will be provided by the CSRD as work progresses.
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