Image Credit: Greg Lowis / City of Merritt

By Chad Klassen

Merritt Flooding

Evacuation order likely to last at least a week: Merritt official

Nov 16, 2021 | 11:30 AM

MERRITT, B.C. — The City of Merritt says it will take more than a week to assess and restart their critical infrastructure including the wastewater treatment plant that is underwater and inoperable.

The good news is the levels in the Coldwater River have receded according to the City. It’s allowing City crews to access the wastewater treatment plant Tuesday (Nov. 16).

“The water levels are coming down, so we’re hoping we’ll be able to begin the assessment work across the entire community [Tuesday],” Greg Lowis, Merritt Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) information officer, told CFJC Today.

He noted the evacuation order will likely last for at least another week, if not longer.

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“What we do know for sure is that, even if it was the best-case scenario that we just have to flush the lines and we can start work again, that is still a multi-day process. I can tell you for a certainty that this evacuation order is not going away anytime soon. Anyone who can safely leave Merritt needs to do so because we cannot operate any safe drinking water infrastructure and we cannot process sewage.”

The City also confirmed that a bridge connecting the community of Collettville within the City of Merritt has been destroyed. The situation has trapped several residents who decided to stay behind. The City is now concerned two other bridges along the Coldwater River are in danger of collapsing as well.

“As a result, we’re not confident about the structural integrity of the remaining two bridges,” said Lowis. “Once the waters recede, we’ll have them inspected by qualified engineers, but until that happens, the bridges cannot be considered safe for transit. As a result, anyone who is on the south side of the Coldwater River in Collettville has to stay there and can no longer evacuate.”

The City says it cannot provide any clean drinking water or supplies to the residents who are stuck.

With emergency support services at McArthur Island all booked up, the City of Merritt is asking anyone still evacuating to drive to Kelowna.