Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
The City of Kamloops has restored water to around 20,000 residents in about 8,000 homes, but with restrictions.
People living in Valleyview, Dallas and Campbell Creek are on a boil water advisory, meaning water is safe to consume after it’s been boiled for at least one minute.
Residents in Juniper, Rose Hill and Barnhartvale are able to use the water for things like showering, flushing toilets and household cleaning, but should still conserve water. However, they are being told not to use water for drinking, cooking or any other activity where a person or animal might end up consuming the water.
The city is waiting for materials being shipped from the Lower Mainland to fix a water main break on River Street and hopes to have the repair competed on Thursday.
“What we prefer to do is cut out a section of pipe so it eliminates that hole completely, and then we put in a chunk of PVC pipe,” said Joe Luison, the city’s assistant director of civic operations.
He said crews have been able to pressurize the system with water using the current temporary repair, but will not begin the full repair until the reservoirs have filled up with enough water to allow crews complete the work without the system running dry.
The repairs were expected to be completed on Tuesday night, but the patch on the existing pipe failed. Now, the city is moving to its backup option to restore water to some 20,000 people in neighbourhoods east of the break.
“When we have that volume in our reservoirs … we’ll be going back to a ‘do not use’ so we can extend the amount of time we have. We’re looking for approximately an eight-hour window.”
After the repair is complete, Interior Health will work with the city to start doing water testing. Luison said this could take up to two week.
“This really is a precautionary measure to protect communities and protect the people and families,” said medical health officer Andy Delli Pizzi.
Delli Pizzi said the risk is currently theoretical but without the system being fully pressurized there’s a risk that contaminates like chemicals or bacteria could enter the water system.
He said people should be follow the orders in place.
The Kamloops Thompson School Board said all the six impacted schools will be open Thursday. Drinking water will be provided, but students can use water from the taps for essentials uses like washing hands and flushing toilets.
Traffic is down to a single lane along River Street Wednesday, near the water main break. (Shelley Joyce/CBC)
The lack of water is having an impact on businesses in the area.
Manmeet Singh, the co-owner of Papa Murphy’s Pizza in Valleyview, told CBC’s Daybreak Kamloops he’s now serving customers from his food truck.
“It’s nobody’s fault, but definitely a very challenging situation for everybody and we thought as a business owner, we should come up with a Plan B,” said Singh.
He said he’s concerned about area residents who have been living without water since early Tuesday.
“They’re not even able to use the water. They can’t even be at home. They can’t cook and they can’t use showers, and it’s, it’s really, it’s really sad.”
The City of Kamloops is offering drinking water at three locations in the city. Water trucks will be made available as of midnight on Wednesday and be on site until midnight on Friday.
People can access the water at Valleyview Arena, Dallas Park and the B.C. Wildlife Park.