Boil water advisory issued for North Battleford, Sask.

NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. – A boil water advisory has been issued for North Battleford, Sask. A city-wide precautionary drinking water advisory (PDWA) was issued following an operations failure at the water treatment plant.

According to officials, partially treated water bypassed one of the treatment processes and flowed into the treated water reservoir of the surface water plant.

The water quality alarm at the water surface plant sounded six minutes later and the plant was shut down. They say the incident, which happened Tuesday, occurred due to an operational error.

In a release, officials say an evaluation of the situation indicate “that in all likelihood the partially treated water remained within the water treatment plant.”

Crews are flushing the water main closest to the surface water treatment plant “as an additional precaution to reduce the risk in the event water had somehow escaped the plant before shutdown.”

Officials say water should be boiled for at least one minute at a rolling boil before consumption or for other purposes including brushing teeth, washing fruits and vegetables or making ice cubes.

They also say no one should drink from public fountains supplied with water from the public water supply.

Under most circumstances, water does not need to be boiled for other household purposes. Adults, teens and older children can still shower or bathe using tap water, but should avoid swallowing the water. Younger children and infants should be sponge-bathed.

The PDWA will remain in place until further notice.

READ MORE: North Battleford fined for waterworks violations

The last time there was a city-wide boil water order in North Battleford was in 2001 when Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in the system.

Between six- and seven-thousand people became ill after consuming water but no fatalities were reported.