A boil water notice has been lifted for some Coldstream residents after a year.
Twenty-five homes that were put on a boil water advisory March 23, 2010 have now been removed from the East Kalamalka Lake intake. They are now receiving their water from the Duteau Creek source.
“The intake at East Kal is not that great,” said Gyula Kiss, a Greater Vernon Advisory Committee director.
“It’s six metres deep there and next to it is an inflow from storm sewage. Also, for people closest to the intake, there wasn’t enough time for chlorination.”
The East Kal intake was treated by chlorine only and did not meet the Interior Health Authority’s objective for water quality improvement.
The change of water source will affect a total of 473 connections or about 1,000 residents in Coldstream.
While Kiss believes there may be a sentimental attachment to the Kal Lake source, he says most customers should be pleased with Duteau Creek since a new treatment plant opened last year.
“It’s clear and most palatable,” he said of Duteau water.
However, those being switched over will experience a change in the hardness of their water.
Duteau Creek water is soft at around 19 milligrams per litre as calcium carbonate while Kalamalka Lake is around 170 milligrams per litre as calcium carbonate.
As of Friday, the East Kal Lake intake will no longer be used for domestic water use and will be designated for irrigation activities.
