For the first time in four days Princeton residents are waking up to a bit of good news.

The municipality’s fragile sewer system, which was monitored closely throughout the night and is in danger of collapse, is still functioning.

“It’s holding its own right now,” said Mayor Spencer Coyne, Thursday Nov. 18. “We are on the edge right now, it could go either way.”

The majority of the town remains under evacuation order or alert.

There are some small improvements to the town’s overwhelmed water system, which will allow residents to use it sparingly.

“Let’s all not have a shower at once,” he said.

“We are getting some pressure back, and we are getting some uptake in our reservoir.”

Related: New evacuation alerts issued for Princeton, as sewer system threatens to collapse

The mayor stressed any water coming out of taps now is contaminated and cannot be consumed even if it is boiled.

Fortis BC has been able to restore natural gas service to some properties, and plans to hook up more houses today.

“I have to give 110 per cent kudos to everyone working on this right now; to the Fortis workers, our public works crews and our engineers. Everyone is doing everything they can to make sure we can stay home.”

Highway 3 partially opens between Princeton and Keremeos

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:andrea.demeer@similkameenspotlight.com