The City of West Kelowna says its crews will flush out the water mains the Lakeview water system over the next few days in anticipation of the removal of the water quality advisory that is currently in place for the distribution network.

Signs will be posted in areas where crews are flushing water mains, procedure that involves running water at a high velocity to remove accumulated sediment from the pipes. The city says Lakeview system users may experience discoloration in the water while flushing is underway.

Should residents notice discoloration after flushing is completed in an area, they are advised to turn on their cold tap until the water runs clear.

The Lakeview system covers most of the northern part of the city, including Shannon Lake, Rose Valley, Lakeview Heights and West Kelowna Estates.

The water quality advisory has been in place since Sept. 7 due to higher than normal turbidity in the Rose Valley reservoir which feeds the Lakeview system. The city has been conducting ongoing monitoring of the Lakeview system and has seen a decrease in turbidity levels and says it will advise the public as soon as the water quality advisory can be removed.

The advisory recommends that children, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and anyone wishing to seek additional protection, bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute, or use an alternate, safe source before consuming it, using it to wash food or using it to brush teeth. An alternative is to buy bottled water or use the free bulk water station the city opened at Shannon Lake and Asquith Roads. Residents are advised to bring their own clean containers to fill water at the facility.

The city is currently designing a new multi-barrier water treatment facility for the Rose Valley reservoir. Once construction is complete in 2019, the plant will meet national and provincial drinking water guidelines, as required by the Interior Health Authority.

The plant will initially serve the Lakeview System, but will eventually provide water to the entire northern half of the city after planned future connections to West Kelowna Estates, Sunnyside and Pritchard systems are completed.

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