Hudson’s Hope residents may have access to clean water soon

HUDSON’S HOPE, B.C. — The District of Hudson’s Hope’s switch to a river water source is almost complete, meaning the boil water advisory could be lifted soon.

The final installations needed to have the plant up and running should be finished within the first couple of weeks of May.

According to the District of Hudson’s Hope, the clarifier should be operational by May 5th if testing is successful. A clarifier is usually used to remove solid particles from liquid for clarification.

The UV Reactors are expected to arrive on the site in the coming days, and installation should be completed by the week of May 8th.

After these last pieces are installed, water samples will be tested, and if Northern Health is satisfied with the water quality, the boil water advisory may be lifted.

Mayor Dave Heiberg says they are looking to expedite the testing process so they can lift the boil water advisory as soon as possible.

“We’ll take one set, and I believe we can expedite it, and two days later, we can do another set of tests,” Heiberg explained.

“And if they both come back favourable, that would allow the district to remove the boil water advisory.”

The district says bacteriological tests continue to be conducted with good results, though the boil water advisory is still in place.

After over a year of boil water notices and do not consume orders due to constant issues with the town’s water treatment plant, the district announced its plan to return to river-sourced water late in 2022, with McElhanney as its engineering consultant.

An open house held by the district outlined the plant and water sources plans, including the multi-phase plan of reverting to river water and the talks with BC Hydro.

For any questions or concerns, the district can be reached at 250-783-9901.