West Kelowna water undrinkable and now brown!

[bstead]

I live in Shannon Lake and we haven't been able to drink the water for almost two months and now it is brown! You can see it in the toilets (which just look dirty) or fill a white sink or bathtub with water and see what color it is! So now I don't even boil it and drink it. It makes me wonder how clean my clothes and dishes are - even in the dishwasher! Not only are we paying for this brown water but we have to buy water to drink too! How do we get this fixed City of West Kelowna? How do we get a reduction in our water bills and who compensates us for the money we are spending so we can drink water??

[Divor]

Isn't shannon lake on the newer system. If so you may have a broken water main.

[dogspoiler]

A broken main would not do that, but it might wash out a road.

[Bpeep]

Sounds like ya got a glop that got released .
Try letting it run till it runs clear.

Glops are pretty common.

[Randall T]

We get glopped at least a couple of times a year. I'm wondering if the OP and family swims in the lake?

[forumdoug]

I live in Shannon Lake and we haven't been able to drink the water for almost two months and now it is brown! You can see it in the toilets (which just look dirty) or fill a white sink or bathtub with water and see what color it is! So now I don't even boil it and drink it. It makes me wonder how clean my clothes and dishes are - even in the dishwasher! Not only are we paying for this brown water but we have to buy water to drink too! How do we get this fixed City of West Kelowna? How do we get a reduction in our water bills and who compensates us for the money we are spending so we can drink water??

That's incorrect. I live in Shannon Lake as well and the initial water quality advisory put by the City mistakenly advised all users to boil water. Subsequent re-advisories have been amended to clarify that this isn't necessary unless you're elderly, a child, have a compromised immune system or are otherwise super-paranoid and want to take extra precautions. ;)

This is the correct IHA water quality advisory guidelines.

Haven't boiled water once and am just fine. :)

Cheers,
Doug

[Fancy]

I haven't heard of anyone boiling the water apart from a couple of posters (and understandably so). Actually haven't heard anyone talking about it apart from the initial "what is everyone doing". The discolouration of the water makes me wonder where on the system is the brown water taking place. Doesn't sound like everyone is having the same issue.

[noremac]

Thought this was interesting. Posting for those that maybe didn't see it.
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/opini ... 8b840.html

[forumdoug]

I haven't heard of anyone boiling the water apart from a couple of posters (and understandably so). Actually haven't heard anyone talking about it apart from the initial "what is everyone doing". The discolouration of the water makes me wonder where on the system is the brown water taking place. Doesn't sound like everyone is having the same issue.

Agreed, Fancy. The "brown water" could be completely unrelated to the algae - it could be higher turbidity in the lines somewhere, not at the water source (which is the reason for the current advisory). :)

Cheers,
Doug

[Lerfy]

I haven't heard of anyone boiling the water apart from a couple of posters (and understandably so). Actually haven't heard anyone talking about it apart from the initial "what is everyone doing". The discolouration of the water makes me wonder where on the system is the brown water taking place. Doesn't sound like everyone is having the same issue.

I have now lived in 2 different houses during the water advisory and have had the same brown water in both homes. It's a tinge, mostly apparent in the toilets or if you fill a pitcher of water. That being said, my wife and I don't boil the water for ourselves and haven't had any issues. We have been giving our son bottled water to drink though as its pretty easy keeping a couple 4 litre jugs around. Waggys market sells refills for 64 cents so it really hasn't been that big an issue.

[Bpeep]

It's likely just tannins.
Grammafreddy woulda saved the cost of a teabag.

[artistwithaflare]

Brown tap water has been a problem for over 25 yrs. in east kelowna and other areas as well!

[Jx3]

A friend of mine that lives in Shannon Lake always used to laugh at how much more expensive our water in Smith Creek is than his in Shannon Lake.... Haven't heard him laughing much about it lately....

[alfred2]

When you are buying , check out the water sewer freeland etc Crying about it later is toooooooo late.

[occasional thoughts]

I live with my son and three roomers; we're on Lakeview water. I keep enough water boiled for a jug of water in the frig, another jug at room temperature, and my Tassimo filled up. My son and one roomer use the boiled water the others don't. The water always has a slight brownish tinge to it, but it doesn't smell and it doesn't look disgusting. I wish it was perfect but no one's getting sick here that I know of. It would be nice if the turbidity and the boil-water notice went away, though. It has been 2+ months and I thought it was supposed to have gone away by now. Supposedly the turbidity resulted from summer rains; summer's gone! It seems it's become semi-permanent.