From the Comox Valley Regional District:

For immediate release January 27, 2015

UPDATE: BOIL WATER ADVISORY LIFTED FOR ALL USERS OF THE COMOX VALLEY WATER SYSTEM

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) and Island Health have lifted the boil water advisory effective this afternoon.

Following daily testing and regular monitoring of the system since the advisory was put in place on December 11, 2014, the CVRD and Island Health are confident that the water quality of the system is now safely within drinking water guidelines. The CVRD understands the impact that this prolonged advisory had on the users of the system and appreciates the support received by the community.

The water that supplies the Comox Valley water system originates in Comox Lake and is taken from the Puntledge River and delivered to approximately 41,000 residents. Those areas affected by the boil water advisory were the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, and the Comox Valley, Arden, Marsden/Camco, Greaves Crescent, and England Road water local service areas.

Island Health guidelines recommends the following after a boil water advisory has been lifted:

• Flush all water-using fixtures for one minute.
• Run cold-water faucets and drinking fountains for one minute before using the water.
• Drain and flush all ice-making machines in your refrigerator.
• Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
• Drain and refill hot water tanks set below 45 C (normal setting is 60 C).
• Change any pre-treatment filters (under sink style and refrigerator water filters, carbon block, activated carbon, sediment filters, etc.).

For up-to-date information and resources on the boil water advisory, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/boil .

Previously:

December 30, 2014

Boil water advisory continues in Comox Valley 

The boil water advisory, issued because of elevated turbidity levels, remains in effect for users connected to the Comox Valley water system.

Turbidity is a water quality term that refers to fine suspended particles that are picked up by water as it passes through streams and rivers within a watershed. The turbidity within the Comox Valley water system that is currently causing the boil water advisory is a very fine material that tends to stay in suspension and doesn’t regularly settle. The current levels of turbidity are not dropping as rapidly as usual after a major storm system of the kind that occurred earlier this month.  There is nothing that can be done to accelerate the settling process as it is a naturally occurring phenomenon in the lake, and therefore we cannot predict how long the condition will persist, nor how long the advisory will need to remain in place.

We are working closely with Island Health to monitor the situation, and testing of water samples is completed daily.  Meanwhile, the boil water advisory is in the best interest of the community and its public health, and users are advised to boil their drinking water for one minute at a rolling boil.

Elevated turbidity levels in the water may interfere with the disinfection processes and reduce the available chlorine residual that inactivates any harmful bacteria.

More information on boil water advisories is available at www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/boil, and the CVRD’s Facebook and Twitter pages are updated at least once a day with the latest information on the advisory – www.facebook.com/comoxvalleyrd and www.twitter.com/comoxvalleyrd.

December 18, 2014

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) would like to remind residents that the boil water advisory is still in effect for all users connected to the Comox Valley water system.    

Due to increased turbidity levels, all users are still advised to boil their drinking water for one minute at a rolling boil. Elevated turbidity levels in the water may interfere with the disinfection processes and reduce the available chlorine residual that inactivates any harmful bacteria. The CVRD monitors the water system for both turbidity and chlorine residual on a continuous basis and also does regular testing of the water for total coliforms and E-coli.

All samples that have been collected and sent to Island Health since the boil water advisory on December 11th have tested clear of any harmful bacteria.

Those areas affected by this boil water advisory are the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, and the Comox Valley, Arden, Marsden/Camco, Greaves Crescent, and England Road water local service areas. (Please note: this boil water advisory does not affect residents in the Village of Cumberland, Royston or those connected to the Black Creek-Oyster Bay water supply system).   

Until the boil water advisory is lifted, all users are asked to minimize non-essential water use. The CVRD will advise users when the problem is resolved.

December 11, 2014: "The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), in conjunction with Island Health, has issued a boil water advisory. 

Due to the intense rainfall experienced over the last several days, turbidity levels have risen in both Comox Lake and the Puntledge River. The water that supplies the Comox Valley water local service areas originates in Comox Lake and is taken from the Puntledge River and delivered to approximately 41,000 residents.

All users of the Comox Valley water system (especially those with compromised immune systems), are advised to boil their drinking water for one minute at a rolling boil. Those areas affected by this boil water advisory are the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, and the Comox Valley, Arden, Marsden/Camco, Greaves Crescent, and England Road water local service areas. (Please note: this boil water advisory does not affect residents in the Village of Cumberland, Royston or those connected to the Black Creek-Oyster Bay water supply system).   

Until the boil water advisory is lifted, all users are asked to minimize non-essential water use. The CVRD will advise users when the problem is resolved.

If you have any questions regarding this notice call the CVRD at 250-334-6006. For updated information and resources on the boil water advisory, visitwww.comoxvalleyrd.ca/boil.

For more information on Boil Water Notices visit the Island Health website, http://www.viha.ca/mho/water/boil_water