Kamloops, BC – July 19, 2022 – The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has completed construction of the Blue River Community Water System improvement project, and will be commissioning the chlorination system on Thursday, July 21, 2022.
The launch of the new system is taking place in conjunction with the annual system flushing and shock chlorination of the Blue River Community Water System, which will take place on Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22.
The chlorination system will add chlorine to the drinking water, to protect drinking water quality. Chlorination prevents the growth of harmful bacteria and inactivates viruses and microorganisms that can cause serious illness if consumed.
“This is a significant improvement for the Blue River Community Water System,” said Manager of Utility Services Tyrone McCabe. “Having a disinfection process in place for drinking water helps ensure water quality is maintained for our customers, and prevents waterborne illnesses.”
The TNRD operates 11 community water systems, and the Blue River Community Water System is the only TNRD water system that does not currently use a disinfection process.
The Blue River Water Master Plan was completed in the spring of 2018, and recommended a Level II Groundwater at Risk of Containing Pathogens (GARP) Assessment be completed. The Level II GARP Assessment was completed in 2019, and recommended that the TNRD incorporate a treatment process for the water system.
The chlorination project was funded through the Canada Community Building Fund and with funding from Trans Mountain.
For a list of Frequently Asked Questions about drinking water chlorination, please view the HealthLink BC fact sheet by clicking here. Residents can learn more about all 11 TNRD community water systems by visiting www.tnrd.ca/water-systems.
Media Contact:
Tyrone McCabe, Manager of Utility Services
Thompson-Nicola Regional District
Tel.: 250 377-7056
Email: tmccabe@tnrd.ca