Gunter Ellison Water System City of Enderby Water Distribution Testing

June 26, 2024

GUNTER-ELLISON WATER SYSTEM - Advance Notice to Residents of City of Enderby Water Distribution Testing

The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) advises customers supplied by Gunter-Ellison Water (GEW) that planned work by the City of Enderby from July 3 to 24, 2024 might result in changes to water quality.

Why is this notice in place?

The City of Enderby is preparing to reconstruct its lower reservoir from fall 2024 through spring 2025. The structure is failing and needs to be enlarged to meet current and future demands. During construction the City's water distribution system will operate differently, as it will bypass the lower reservoir and send water directly to the upper reservoir.

While the bypass configuration has been tested for brief durations, the City of Enderby will be testing it for a longer period, starting July 3 to July 24, in order to perform various "stress tests" on the system to simulate challenging scenarios such as a structure fire, water break, or loss of a water source.

It is expected that one such test will involve the issuance of a precautionary Water Quality Advisory due to drinking water only receiving one of its usual two disinfection barriers; the Water Quality Advisory will be announced in advance, as its timing depends on other aspects of the bypass testing.

What should affected customers do?

From July 3 to July 24, when the water distribution system is operating in bypass mode, the City of Enderby is inviting water customers to complete a form at www.cityofenderby.com/water-bypass if they note any changes in their drinking water quality. This will help the City of Enderby to diagnose anomalies with the bypass configuration that need to be addressed, prior to construction of the lower reservoir.

Please note that this form is only to report drinking water changes during the bypass testing. For other water quality concerns, please report the issue to the City of Enderby at [email protected].

Where can I find updates?

Updates will be posted to www.rdno.ca/news (filter by Water Notices).

If you have any questions, please contact the RDNO Utilities Department at 250-550-3700