‘Brown, stinky water’ still plagues West Kelowna residents

It’s an ongoing problem in West Kelowna, B.C., that many say is getting worse.

Foul-smelling, discoloured and bad-tasting water has been flowing through the taps of many households and residents want city to find a solution to the problem.

“I still bathe my kids in it, I still shower, but we don’t drink it. There are a lot of people in this town that don’t drink the water,” said Rose Valley resident Olivia Lawson.

A brand new $75-million water treatment plant in Rose Valley began operating in May, and questionable water has been pouring out of local taps since.

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“In West Kelowna Estates I never had problems before the new water treatment plant was commissioned, it was always fine. Since it was commissioned, we’ve had weeks and weeks of brown, stinky water that we can’t drink,” said West Kelowna Estates resident Jackie Haynes.

In a statement, the city said, “We have implemented the addition of a chemical oxidant to help remove manganese from the water, and this is working.”

“The reservoir is undergoing seasonal turnover at the moment, and occasional spikes in manganese could occur, but the oxidant is resolving discoloration.”

Residents are questioning why they’re paying monthly fees for a facility that isn’t producing clean water.

“Even though I try to boil it, it still stinks. We use filters non-stop which are expensive, on top of the fee we have to pay – $200 (monthly),” said Agnieszka Jamieson who lives in Rose Valley.

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