Oyen Briefs: Boil Water Advisory has been lifted

By Diana Walker

10:00 a.m., April 9

A boil water advisory was taped to the window when I arrived at The Oyen Echo office Tuesday morning. When I ventured down the street, I saw one at each downtown business entrance.

8:40 a.m., April 10

The Big Country Agricultural Society received an email from South Zone Environmental Public Health. It said:

Please be reminded to boil or use bottled water, and follow hand washing with hand hygiene using hand sanitizer containing a minimum of 60% isopropyl alcohol. We have the following information available on our Alberta Health Services, Environmental Public Health website to support businesses with information on how to operate under a boil water advisory. Please remember to turn off and disconnect water dispensers, water fountains, ice machines, slush machines, and vegetable sprayers and verify sanitizing chemicals or temperatures are reached in dishwashers and hot beverage machines.

6:47 a.m., April 12

CAO Debbie Ross said in an email:

Originally, a boil water advisory was put on the morning of the ninth (due to Alberta Health requirements from loss of full water pressure). It was posted on the town’s website, Facebook, posters, in person to hospital, lodge and schools and flyers in everyone’s mailboxes. We are currently waiting on results of the second set of water samples before we can lift the advisory. The first set came back good and we expect the second set to come back good as well. We should get results today. We will be posting once things are good.

1:11 p.m., Friday

Low/sporadic Water Pressure – upgrades to the control panel are in progress, causing pressure to fluctuate as a water pump is used during the day for water supply and gravity feed at night. This project is expected to last until early next week (16th).

3:45 p.m., Friday

Boil Water Advisory is now 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙!

Residents and business owners should run taps for 5 minutes before consumption to "flush" lines. Water can then be consumed normally.