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A photograph of dark coloured water is making its rounds on Facebook, and it's causing quite an uproar in Kelowna.
Amy Lee, who lives in South East Kelowna posted two pictures online of water that came straight out of the tap.
Lee said she has never seen her water so bad.
“I don't know how our city expects people to cook, drink, or bathe in this! Let’s make this go viral in hoping more can be done. We pay for this water and it is absolutely disgusting and embarrassing to our city.”
The City of Kelowna has responded to her concerns saying it is not the City’s fault, since she is a part of the South East Kelowna Irrigation District.
Currently there are five independent and separate water systems in City boundaries.
“The irrigation districts are independent public authorities subject to supervision by the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. They have their own elected boards and staff, their own water sources and distribution systems, and their own user fees,” explained the City.
The City of Kelowna believe that it is time to have one single system that supplies water to everyone, instead of having separate systems. Right now there are five water purveyors supplying water to residents including the City of Kelowna water utility, the Black Mountain Irrigation District, the Glenmore-Ellison Improvement District, Rutland Waterworks District and the South East Kelowna Irrigation District.
At the beginning of April residents in South East Kelowna were told that they were being put on a precautionary boil water notice. Residents can be expected to be on this advisory until May.
The City of Kelowna said that concerned citizens need to speak to their irrigation districts, MLAs and the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development when it comes to water.
Several other residents of Kelowna have commented on the social media post sharing photos of their water. One resident said that that she has lived in Kelowna for three years and never has seen it like this before.
KelownaNow has reached out to the South East Kelowna Irrigation District for comments. To read what the District says about this issue, click here.
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