Water quality advisory issued for Waneta Junction

Water quality advisory issued for Waneta Junction.
Low level coliform bacteria were detected within the Green Gables reservoir distribution system, located above Trail Canadian Tire, which services over 60 properties along Highway 22A.
The City of Trail and Interior Health advises those with weakened or immature immunity to boil water for at least one minute, and exercise precautions when drinking, washing produce, making beverages and ice, or when brushing teeth.
A water quality advisory indicates a level of risk associated with consuming drinking water, but the conditions do not warrant a boil water notice or do-not-use water notice.
“It’s just a water quality advisory on right now … not a boil water notice …,” he clarified.
Although Green Gables is testing low, the advisory is in place because the Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guideline for total coliforms is none detectable per 100 mL.
“It’s not the water coming out of the well that is the problem, there’s coliform in the Green Gables reservoir or in the distribution system below the reservoir – it’s not coming out of the well.” Public works will be flushing respective mains with chlorine while the city investigates where the coliform originates.
“We are going to do some research in the next week or two and hopefully narrow down the source,” McIsaac said.
“That increases the velocity of the water coming through the pipe, pulls a little bit of that bacterial growth away from the wall, and it gets distributed.” Once the system is flushed, the city will pull samples to send for testing at a certified lab.
McIsaac added, “By Monday or on Monday, we should have an answer.” Commonly used as an indicator of sanitary quality of foods and water, coliforms are a rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria.

Learn More