Current Status

UPDATE, May 14, 6:30 pm: With repairs nearing completion for the critical water main, the City has restored water service for essential use only to all affected areas, however, use restrictions remain in place.

Depending on your zone, this may include a Do Not Consume order or a Boil Water Advisory. Residents must continue to follow the specific directions included in their property alerts.

As the City brings the system back to regular use, the water will go through comprehensive safety testing and stages of usability.

Thank you to residents for stopping water use during the day today. Our ability to return to essential water use is a direct result of these efforts.

Potable Water Stations

Potable (safe drinking) water trucks will be available 24/7 to 11:59 pm, Friday, May 15, at the following locations:

• Valleyview Arena, 353 Highland Road
• Dallas Park, 5998 Todd Hill
• BC Wildlife Park, 9077 Dallas Drive
• Fire Hall 6, 5300 Dallas Drive

Beginning Saturday, May 16, for a minimum of 5 days, potable water will be available from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm at the following locations:

• Fire Hall 6, 5300 Dallas Drive
• Valleyview Arena, 353 Highland Road

Please bring your own containers for the potable water. Residents may collect up to 100 litres of water per visit.

During the East Kamloops Water Main Break and Repair

Water advisories exist to protect water infrastructure and public health. The City of Kamloops is the governing authority on water infrastructure and Interior Health is the governing authority on public health, but all advisories for this event are issued by the City of Kamloops.

Throughout the course of the East Kamloops water main break and repair in May 2026, the City has issued multiple different water advisories. Here is a breakdown of what those advisories are, why they were issued, and what they mean as we continue to work towards a return to normal.

Water Conservation Notices:

• DO NOT USE - Do not use water from the pipes at all.*
• CONSERVE/ESSENTIAL USE ONLY - Only use water for essential purposes.

*The City’s use of this advisory for this event is operational and based on water supply. It is not related to extreme health risks as outlined in an Interior Health DO NOT CONSUME alert.

Water Quality Notices related to Public Health Messaging:

• DO NOT CONSUME - The water should not be used for drinking, brushing teeth, cooking, making ice cubes, making baby formula, or washing fresh fruit or vegetables. Use a safe alternate source of water (i.e. bottled water).
• BOIL WATER - Water must be boiled for one minute and cooled before it can be safely consumed, or use a safe alternate source of water (i.e. bottled water).

In this event:

DO NOT USE - The advisory not to use water at all has been issued throughout the impacted areas at times when the water supply has needed to be completely closed off to do direct repair work on the pipeline. This advisory was issued to prevent reservoirs from running dry while they were not being replenished.

CONSERVE/ESSENTIAL USE ONLY – The advisory to conserve water was issued throughout the event to ensure enough supply in the reservoirs for essential and emergency needs.

DO NOT CONSUME - The City issued a do not consume advisory to Juniper and Rose Hill and Barnhartvale zones during the first repair. This is because we were unable to maintain positive pressure within the water system in those zones when the reservoirs reached their lowest levels. When we lose that positive pressure, it is possible for external contaminates to enter the system. In these situations, because of the uncertainty, a do not consume advisory stays in effect until the water can maintain positive pressure (the break is fixed) and the water can be tested.

BOIL WATER - The City issued a boil water advisory to Valleyview, Dallas, and Campbell Creek zones during the first repair. Pressure in these zones did not drop below the regulatory threshold for a Do Not Consume advisory, but the risk from microbial contamination remains.

What to Expect After the Repair

Once positive pressure can be maintained in the repaired pipe, and the reservoirs are at comfortable levels, businesses and residents will be able to begin using water again for non-essential purposes following the Water Quality Notices related to public health messaging for your area.

At this point we will actively encourage residents to turn the taps on and run their sprinklers to flush remaining air pockets out of the system. It will be normal to experience bursts of air within the water flow during this time.

The City will undergo a series of tests to identify any contaminants in the system. Once the chemical and bacteriological results are all clear we will be able to remove current water quality notices.