Boil Water Notice for All Users of the Comox Valley Water System due to E-Coli

Updated June 2, 2017: Boil Water Notice LIFTED

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), in conjunction with Island Health, has issued a boil water notice effective immediately due to a positive E. coli sample found in the Comox Reservoir.

If E. coli is found anywhere within the water distribution system, Island Health requires a boil water notice to be issued.

All users of the Comox Valley water system are instructed to boil their drinking water for one minute at a rolling boil. There are 45,000 users affected by this boil water notice including: the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, and the Comox Valley, Arden, Marsden/Camco, Greaves Crescent, and England Road water local service areas. (Please note: this boil water notice does not affect residents in the Village of Cumberland, Royston, Sandwick water system users, or those connected to the Black Creek-Oyster Bay water supply system).  

There are six water storage reservoirs in the Comox Valley water system and the outlet sample at the Comox Reservoir was positive for one count of E. coli. The CVRD has inspected the affected reservoir and has not identified any issues.

Samples from all of the reservoirs will continue to be collected. Once there have been three consecutive samples that are clear of the bacteria, Island Health will issue a notice to the CVRD to lift the Boil Water Notice. Until then, all residents are instructed to boil their water as per Island Health’s recommendations.

If you have any questions about this notice call the CVRD at 250-334-6006. For updated information and resources on the boil water notice, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/boil and www.viha.ca/mho/water/boil_water and click on “what to do during a Boil Water Notice”.

For information about E. coli and the potential health impacts of this boil water notice, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/e-coli-infection or call 8-1-1.

To register for text message or voice mail notifications about boil water notices and other emergency notifications visit: www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/getnotified. Remember to choose both the community in which you live and the Comox Valley Water Supply System (boil water) notification lists. No access to a computer? You can also register by calling 250-334-6057.

The Comox Valley Regional District is a federation of three electoral areas and three municipalities providing sustainable services for residents and visitors to the area. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.