Temporary water shutdown
November 9, 2019: The Boil Water Notice (BWN) in place for residents of southeast Kelowna affected by the controlled water shutdown Nov. 6 - 8 has been rescinded. Residents return to a Water Quality Advisory. The BWN rescind also applies to the residents living in the vicinty of Jean Road who experienced a water outage, return to service and subsequent BWN. Read Public Service Announcement here.
November 8, 2019 (6:00 p.m.)
Water service has been restored to the affected areas. There may be some remaining air in the system therefore it is recommended that customers run their taps until any residual air is flushed out. Note that all affected properties are on a Boil Water Notice until further notice. For any related issues, please call 250-469-8402.
November 8, 2019: (2:36 p.m.)
The pipes are gradually being refilled and monitored to ensure the proper operation of the system. We anticipate water service to be restored to customers later this evening.
November 8, 2019 (8:30 a.m.)
Repairs to the pipe are complete and system checks are taking place. Further updates to come.
November 7, 2019 (12:00 p.m.)
Repairs to the pipe begin at 7 a.m. this morning and are progressing according to schedule.
November 6, 2019
A reminder that drainage will begin this evening at 8 p.m. and repairs are scheduled to take place tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.
The work zone is located at the Sealy Rd and Mathews Rd intersection. Residents who live between Sealy and Mathews/Wallace Hill are encouraged to enter from Wallace Hill. Residents who live between Sealy and June Springs Rd. are encourage to enter from June Springs Rd. There is no formal road closure at this time.
Updated November 5, 2019 (3:20 p.m.)
The custom fabricated parts arrived this morning and have been verified. Water drainage will take place during the evening of November 6 beginning at 8 p.m., with repairs to the pipe beginning on the morning of November 7. Please see map of the affected area as the number of affected properties has changed. NOTE: If your property is without water during this time and you did not receive notice from the City Water Utility, please contact the Integration Water Team at integratedwater@kelowna.ca or 250-469-8561.
Read Nov. 5 News Release
Updated November 4, 2019 (2:30 pm.)
The custom fabricated parts did not arrive today. We will not proceed with drainage and repairs until the parts have arrived.
Updated November 4, 2019
The parts are scheduled to arrive today (Nov. 4). Water drainage estimated to take place in the evening of November 5 (after 6 p.m.), with repairs to the pipe beginning on the morning of November 6. TO BE CONFIRMED.
Once the outage is in place, affected customers are invited to use the shower facilities at the Parkinson Recreation Centre (1800 Parkinson Way) at no charge. Please bring photo ID, a quarter for the locker and your own toiletries.
Updated October 28, 2019
Earlier this month, we discovered a leak in an aging pipe along the former SEKID water transmission line. While a temporary mitigation was put in place immediately, the permanent solution is to repair the pipe. Repairs are tentatively scheduled to take place during the first week of November. The delay between the discovery of the issue and the repair is a result of the required fabrication, ordering and delivery of essential parts not readily available.
Once the required parts are received, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect the repairs to take up to 48 hrs. During this time, the affected properties will be without water.
A letter to the affected properties was sent the week of October 21, informing customers of the issue.
As of October 24, 2019, potable water is available for affected customers at the SEKID office, located at 3235 Gulley Rd). Customers can fill containers and bottles for personal and household use. This source is available 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.
We will announce the official date of the repair and any corresponding road closures as soon as possible. Please watch for this announcement by:
- Bookmarking this page or visiting the City’s website at kelowna.ca/water
- Following the City’s social media channels (Facebook and Twitter)
- Monitoring local news: radio, online news or local newspapers
This 30-inch diameter water transmission line is approaching 50 years old. The leak was discovered when carrying out other maintenance in the system.
At this time the leak is suspected to be on account of the age of the pipe and local conditions.
As of Thursday, October 24, 2019, a potable (drinking water) station was set up at the SEKID office at 3235 Gulley Rd.). This water is available 24/7 for affected customers prior to and for the duration of the outage.
Customers can fill containers and bottles for personal use.
If there is a concern with this water station, please call Fire Dispatch at 250-469-8577.
Once the outage is in place, affected customers are invited to use the shower facilities at the Parkinson Recreation Centre (1800 Parkinson Way) at no charge. Please bring photo ID, a quarter for the locker and your own toiletries.
Currently the problem is being managed and the leak is flowing under reduced flow. The leak is being monitored but could worsen, leading to a water shut off earlier than anticipated.
A plan to repair the pipe has been developed. The materials are on order as they were not available locally. The delivery is approximately 12 days. The repair is expected to take several days to complete.
As with any pipeline a subsequent pipe failure is possible. The repair process will try to determine contributing factors and conditions; however, a full replacement is a much larger work activity that requires additional coordination. Replacement of the pipe should not be necessary if the full pipe is in acceptable condition.
The water outage impacts 237 customers who currently receive water from the former SEKID irrigation and domestic water use systems. Properties that have been connected to the City Water Utility system are not impacted.
The map identifies the overall area that may be affected by the issue (water outage and/or road closures). Note this does not distinguish between which properties are affected by the water shutdown and which are not. The map only identifies the overall area that is affected.
Because the transmission main has to be fully drained for the repair, then refilled, a Boil Water Notice will need to continue on this system until there is assurance that any contaminants that may have entered the system during the leak or repair process are removed.
Boil Water Notice - Precautions
During a Boil Water Notice, the City advises that any water that has a chance of being ingested should be boiled, whether it’s for beverages, food preparation, coffee machines, brushing teeth, making ice or water for pets.
All water should be boiled for one minute, cooled and stored in clean, covered containers in a refrigerator. Residents are reminded to cool water prior to use to avoid burns or scalds.
