Water Quality

Water Quality and Testing

Glenmore and Ellison

Water quality is of utmost concern to GEID.  While the two original water systems for Ellison and Glenmore were built solely to supply farmers with much-needed water for agricultural crops in a dry climate, the present day demands must also ensure safe drinking water for GEID’s customers.   

GEID’s Water Quality Technician monitors and tests the water throughout the Glenmore-Ellison distribution system and also in the watershed.  Tests are conducted at approximately 27 sites throughout the system, including raw water, treated water, and from various locations such as reservoirs and endpoints of the distribution system.  The tests include a variety of parameters such as chlorine residual, temperature, colour, turbidity, total coliforms and E coli.  Some tests are completed daily, while others such as bacteriological testing are conducted on a weekly basis.  GEID reports NTU levels below.

Separate Test Results and Trihalomethane Results for Glenmore and Ellison are provided below.   Please ensure you click on the correct attachment.

Glenmore Water Quality Results - ComprehensiveWaterQuality.pdf

Glenmore Trihalomethane ResultsTrihalomethaneGlenmoreDec2011.pdf

Ellison Water Quality Results - ComprehensiveWaterQualEllison.pdf

Ellison Trihalomethane Results -TrihalomethaneDec2011.pdf

McKinley Landing

The McKinley water system is a residential water system originally privately operated as the McKinley Landing Waterworks System.  GEID acquired the system in late 2004.   GEID monitors and tests the water for this system at four sites including the reservoirs at Arthur Rd. and Shayler Rd.  Tests include a variety of parameters such as chlorine residual, temperature, colour, turbidity, total coliforms and E coli.  Some tests are completed daily, while others such as bacteriological testing are conducted on a weekly basis.  GEID reports NTU levels below.

Water Quality Results and Trihalomethane Results for this system are provided below:

Water Quality Results   ComprehensiveWaterQualMcKinleyLdg.pdf

Trihalomethane Results TrihalomethaneDec2011.pdf

Independent Laboratory testing

An independent, accredited laboratory completes the bacteriological testing for the Glenmore, Ellison and McKinley Landing  systems, while other parameters are tested in-house. Any adverse results are reported directly by the laboratory to Interior Health as well as to GEID. This additional reporting is a provincial requirement, and provides extra protection for our customers.

Turbidity Levels -  February 22nd, 2012

McKinley Reservoir Area - Boil Water Notice (June 2011)

A Boil Water Notice exists for the following specific properties located near the McKinley Reservoir who are within the Glenmore distribution system:

2235, 2245, 2265 & 2295 McKinley Road

2340, 2410, 2470 & 2610 Glenmore Road

Owners of these properties were contacted by letter and properties were "door tagged" to advise of the ongoing Boil Water Notice.  As advised, infrastructure upgrades are required by the District in order to remove the Boil Water Notice.  Subject to budget considerations, GEID anticipates that the required works should be undetaken in 2012. 

Any queries regarding this issue may be directed to Darren Schlamp, Operations Manager, at 250-763-6506.

Ongoing Water Quality Advisory for Glenmore and Ellison customers

GEID has been under a continuous WQA since 2006 due to fluctuations in turbidity readings between 1 - 5 NTU.  This WQA is still in effect for residents in the Glenmore and Ellison areas, which also includes Quail Ridge, UBCO, Sexsmith/Neave Industrial Park,  the Airport Industrial Lands, and Wilden (streets accessed from Union Road). This does not include residents in the McKinley Landing area who receive Okanagan Lake water.

IHA recommends that children (0-12yrs), the elderly (65+yrs) and people with weakened immune systems boil their water for one minute or seek a safe alternative.

Owners of public facilities must post Water Quality Advisories at all sinks or drinking water fountains accessible to the public (alternatively, public fountains and taps may be turned off).

GEID is continuing to closely monitor the system and will update our customers of any changes to water quality.

The District apologizes for any inconvenience this might cause our customers.

McKinley Landing customers  

Customers on the former McKinley Landing Waterworks System (generally within the area of Bennett, Arthur, Paly, Dubbin, Shayler, etc) are not affected by these water notifications.  These customers receive water from Okanagan Lake which does not normally see elevated turbidity.