The City of Kamloops says essential water service has now been restored to all affected east Kamloops neighbourhoods as crews near completion of repairs to the critical southeast sector feeder main that has disrupted water access for thousands of residents this week.
In a 6:30 p.m. update Thursday, the city confirmed water has returned for essential use only, though significant restrictions remain in effect depending on the area.
Some neighbourhoods remain under a “Do Not Consume” order, while others are under a Boil Water Advisory as Interior Health and city crews continue water quality testing throughout the distribution system.
Residents are being told to continue following the specific instructions issued for their property and avoid unnecessary water use while the system stabilizes.
The latest update marks another major step forward after crews spent much of Thursday carrying out critical repairs on the damaged 500-millimetre concrete feeder main along River Road.
Earlier Thursday, Public Works Divisional Manager Joe Luison said excavation crews had dug roughly 14 feet underground and were within feet of the damaged pipe after beginning work shortly after 6 a.m.
Crews replaced a larger section of the broken feeder main with upgraded PVC piping specially fabricated and transported from the Lower Mainland.
City officials credited residents for dramatically reducing water use throughout the day, allowing reservoir levels to remain stable enough for crews to complete repairs within the planned work window.
“Thank you to residents for stopping water use during the day today,” the city stated Thursday evening. “Our ability to return to essential water use is a direct result of these efforts.”
Officials have repeatedly warned the transition back to fully potable drinking water will take considerably longer than the physical repair itself.
Interior Health Medical Health Officer Andy Delli-Pizzi said earlier this week that extensive microbiological and chemical testing will be required before all advisories can be lifted.
“There’s currently no evidence of illness or confirmed contamination,” Delli-Pizzi said Wednesday, “but even a small level of risk is too high when it comes to public health.”
The outage has affected roughly 19,000 residents and about 7,500 homes across east Kamloops since the feeder main failure was first discovered earlier this week.
Potable water stations remain open
The City says emergency potable water stations will continue operating 24 hours a day through 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 15, at the following locations:
- Valleyview Arena
- Dallas Park
- BC Wildlife Park
- Fire Hall 6
Beginning Saturday, May 16, potable water will remain available daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for a minimum of five additional days at:
- Fire Hall 6
- Valleyview Arena
Residents are asked to bring their own containers and may collect up to 100 litres of water per visit.
The City of Kamloops says additional updates on restrictions and water quality testing are expected in the coming days as crews continue flushing and stabilizing the system.
