Boil-water notice issued for small water system in B.C. Interior

Residents of a small community on the shore of Shuswap Lake have been advised to boil their water before use.

The Columbia-Shuswap Regional District issued the boil-water notice for users of the Sorrento Water System on Friday evening, citing elevated turbidity in the water.

The water system serves properties in the unincorporated community of Sorrento, about 25 kilometres west of Salmon Arm and 75 kilometres east of Kamloops along the Trans-Canada Highway.

"High turbidity (cloudiness) levels may occur in surface water sources due to seasonal weather changes causing excessive surface runoff, flooding or lake turnover," the regional district said in a statement announcing the boil-water notice.

"A high turbidity level may impair the effectiveness of the water disinfection treatment system. If disinfection is impaired, disease-causing micro-organisms may escape into the water distribution system, resulting in an increased risk of intestinal illness."

All users of the water system are advised to boil their water at a rapid boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, food preparation or dental hygiene.

Alternatively, users can add two drops of fresh household bleach per litre of water or use bottled water, the CSRD said.

Water system users are advised to contact the CSRD's utilities department at 888-248-2773 or Interior Health at 250-851-7340 for more information.