Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: January 30, 2010 12:00 PM
Coldstream’s recent water emergency is draining the district’s finances. As a result, residents who received 18-litre containers of bottled water are being asked to return them so the municipality can recoup the deposit. “It’s a few thousand dollars if we get them all back,” said Michael Stamhuis, chief administrative officer. In fact, 1,000 containers were purchased with a deposit of $10 each. About 15 per cent of the bottles have already been returned, but the hope is to get a majority of them back. “They were just there to provide water on a temporary basis,” said Stamhuis. “Utility customers and taxpayers were contributing towards this so we hope residents will be grateful and return the bottles.”
The North Okanagan Regional District anticipates that a boil water advisory for residents east of Murphy Road Thursday could remain in place at least until Wednesday. “We want to move a little slow and make sure things are done,” said Renee Clark, water quality senior technologist. The Antwerp Springs ground well source was shut down Jan. 13 after NORD determined it was contaminated. Last week, residents east of Murphy Road, at Highway 6, were downgraded from a Do Not Drink status to a boil advisory after they were switched from Antwerp Springs to the Duteau Creek source. Clark says NORD and the Interior Health Authority are following an extensive procedure to make sure lines and the reservoirs are disinfected. Customers may experience low water pressure as operators complete the disinfection work plus a strong chlorine odour, but officials say this is temporary. There will also be a verification of random homes in Lavington to make sure that any indication of contamination is gone. “We will look at the areas that were highly affected and partially affected,” said Clark.
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