Boil water advisory issued for Town of Gibsons

An urgent message from Mayor Wayne Rowe

Town of Gibsons

I’m writing to share with you a concern that has arisen in the course of routine testing of our drinking water supply: we have just learned that Gibsons residents living in zones one and two need to boil tap water for at least one minute prior to drinking, in keeping with a Boil Water Advisory just issued by Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).  As is their practice in such cases, VCH is communicating this advisory through the media, and in some cases in person, for example to schools and restaurants. Over the next few days, you may notice signs in public premises, for example on school water fountains, indicating that the water is not potable without boiling.

This is the first time such an advisory has ever been issued in Gibsons, and I assure you that we are taking prompt action to identify the source of contamination, conduct appropriate disinfection, and conduct ongoing testing of our water supply, in keeping with our Water Emergency Plan. What I can tell you today is that at this time there is no evidence of tampering, with all of our reservoirs’ locks remaining intact. Further notice regarding the duration of this advisory will be posted as information and test results become available.

Please continue to check our Facebook page www.facebook.com/TownofGibsons.ToG-Water-Supply