Some Merritt, B.C., residents one step closer to returning home following flood

Vancouver -

Officials in Merritt, B.C. say progress is being made, as crews work around the clock to bring the city’s drinking water back online.

One of Merritt’s four wells is back in operation.

“We’re using that to repressurize our reservoir and the drinking water system in part of the city,” said Greg Lowis, information officer for the City of Merritt.

The entire city of roughly 7,000 people remains under an evacuation order. Lowis says residents of the least affected parts of the city might be able to return home as soon as this week, but only if drinking water is successfully restored. For the time being, officials are permitting residents to return to the city only to pick up stranded friends or family members.

“We’re asking people not to come at this point just to collect possessions, or things. It’s simply not safe to have that many people walking around Merritt,” said Lowis.

Much of Merritt was inundated with water last week, as heavy rains and flash flooding overwhelmed the city's wastewater treatment plant. There’s no hard timeline for when the plant will be repaired, but Lowis is hopeful.

“We’ve been making great progress in unclogging and removing debris from our sewer lines, and I believe some material is now reaching the wastewater plant,” Lowis said.

Meanwhile, the cleanup continues at another hard-hit town south of Merritt. Roughly 300 properties remain under evacuation order in Princeton, B.C., with the rest of the town under evacuation alert. Crews are working to restore power and gas lines throughout the town.

The floodwater has receded, revealing a thick blanket of mud and debris through much of the town’s roadways. The mayor says emotions are high, with so many residents’ basements still filled with floodwater.

“I’m not going to lie, I’ve cried a couple of times,” said Spencer Coyne, mayor of Princeton.

“There are (emotional) moments, especially when you run into someone you know who has lost everything. It gets to you.”

Unlike Merritt, Princeton properties do have access to running water, but the sewer system is not fully operational. Crews are working to replace a pump and clear out debris from the lines.

“People can have a shower, people can flush toilets and wash dishes, but long-term viability is still questionable at this time,” said Coyne.

The mayor described the process of rebuilding Princeton’s critical infrastructure as a race against the freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall expected for the months of December and January.

“A couple months after that, the spring freshet is going to happen," Coyne said. "If we if don’t have repairs in place, we’re looking at doing this all over again in the spring.”

However, Coyne is encouraged to see the residents and crews working together to bring back a sense of normalcy to the small town of 3,000 people as quickly as possible.

“It’s that team effort that’s going to get us through this," he said.