Updated story: August 22, 4:40 p.m.
The City of Prince Rupert announced that the boil water advisory may have been caused by difficulty in maintaining proper chlorine disinfection.
The city is working on finding a solution but says it does not know how long the advisory will remain in effect.
“The city is committed to addressing the root cause and ensuring the system meets all safety standards before the notice is lifted. We will share further updates as they become available, but at this time there is no confirmed timeline for removal of the notice.”
Updated story: August 14, 10 a.m.
The City of Prince Rupert says the boil-water advisory issued last week remains in effect.
The city is coordinating with its consulting team to determine the cause of the contamination.
Once a cause is found, necessary actions will be taken to resolve the issue.
At this time, the city does not have a timeline for when the advisory will be lifted.
Original story: August 6, at 8 p.m.
Residents of Prince Rupert are being advised to boil water after Multiple laboratory tests indicate the presence of total coliform bacteria in the drinking water.
Total coliforms may be due to the level of disinfection treatment, distribution pipes that are in need of maintenance, and challenges to maintain an appropriate chlorine residual within the water system. These bacteria are naturally present in the environment and they are generally not harmful but do indicate an increased chance that organisms causing intestinal illness may also be present in the drinking water.
A Boil Water Notice means that residents and water system users must heat the water to a rapid boil for at least 1 minute then cool and place in a food grade storage container. This must be done in advance of consumption for brushing teeth, drinking and cooking, washing vegetables for consumption raw, and making ice. Use of water for bathing and washing clothes is considered safe without boiling.
The City of Prince Rupert is working diligently with Northern Health to safely lift the notice as soon as possible.
