Increased turbidity has forced the Kalamalka Lake water source to be shut off, a move that the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) says is necessary but not ideal.
On Tuesday, the RDNO advised Greater Vernon Water customers supplied by the Kalamalka Lake Water Source that the Mission Hill Water Treatment Plant will be shut down effective immediately.
"The decision to remove the Kalamalka Lake water source was based on rapidly increasing turbidity at the intake in Kalamalka Lake due to rain and spring run-off in the Coldstream Creek watershed," the RDNO said.
Water will instead be supplied from the Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant until turbidity in Kalamalka Lake decreases to acceptable levels.
The regional district says shutting off the Kalamalka Lake water source is "not an ideal option." This is because water storage levels in the Aberdeen Plateau reservoirs that supply the Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant are currently low, and storage levels in the reservoirs must be held in reserve in case there are continued drought conditions.
RDNO general manager of utilities Zee Marcolin sounded the alarm last month that drought conditions have led to concerningly low water levels in the Duteau watershed reservoirs, and said when turbidity hits, the result could be a water quality advisory for all of Vernon.
That hasn't happened yet, but Greater Vernon Water has been put on Stage 1 water restrictions and customers are being asked by the RDNO to conserve water "as much as possible." More information on the water restrictions can be found at rdno.ca/gvw/restrictions.
Customers who are not normally on the Duteau Creek water source will notice the water is much softer and has low alkalinity and pH.
"This may be of interest to those customers who have in-home water treatment systems or aquariums," the RDNO said.
The installation of filtration at the now shut-down Mission Hill Water Treatment Plant, where Kalamalka Lake water is treated, is currently in the design phase. That project's completion will solve future turbidity problems, the RDNO said.
"This project is critical to the long-term security of this water source. Once it is installed and commissioned, filtration will remove turbidity so that these types of events will not impact service to customers," the RDNO said.
RDNO staff will notify customers when the Kalamalka Lake water source is turned back on.
