Drinking Water and Water Supply

Listen to your local radio and television stations or contact your local Health Authority to see whether your drinking water has been impacted by a flood.

If your water supply is unsafe to drink, a Boil Water Advisory or a similar notice may have been issued by your water supplier (if you are not on an individual water or independent water source).

Follow all public health advisories on public drinking water. Never use flood water or contaminated drinking water for drinking, preparation of baby food, personal hygiene (e.g., washing or brushing teeth) or washing dishes or surfaces. There may be other sources of safe water around the home

The BC Health File, “Disinfecting Drinking Water” will provide you with additional information. However, boiling or disinfecting water does not make heavily contaminated water safe because it does not remove chemicals. If your water is cloudy or murky, you must find an alternate safe potable source of water.

If you are on a private domestic well or water source, you should get your water tested to ensure that it is safe to drink. The BC Health File “Well Water Testing” will provide you with additional information on this subject. You can also contact your local Health Authority for additional information on getting your water tested. For more information on the recent flooding event in BC and its impact to drinking water wells, please click on the links below:

For information about flooding and water quality from your health authority, where available, click on the links below.