Image Credit: Curtis Goodrum / CFJC Today

By Curtis Goodrum

TRAIN DERAILMENT

Fuel cleanup progresses near derailment site on Kamloops Lake – but plenty of work remains

Nov 7, 2025 | 5:16 PM

KAMLOOPS — Water quality samples collected at a recent train derailment site west of Cherry Creek have come back as safe to drink under the BC Source Drinking Water Guidelines.

It comes on the heels of updated estimates that 80,000 litres of aviation fuel leaked into the water. It’s a positive update for communities that rely on Kamloops Lake for water. However, people living across the lake from the crash site are still being warned of potential contamination.

The tests at the Savona water intake have come back negative for aviation fuel. However, that could change at any point and the Tobiano intake has been shut down as a precaution.

“The TNRD is still awaiting test results and an update will be provided to customers in Walhachin when these results are known,” the TNRD said in a statement distributed Friday (Nov. 7).

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This is still good news for residents of the area who could have seen a much larger impact.

“The deepwater testing met drinking water standards, which was a relief — not just to myself and others who are involved with the emergency cleanup, but also to the residents who are downstream, our constituents in Area ‘J’,” said TNRD Director Michael Grenier.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) has multiple teams on the cleanup of both the derailed cars and the aviation fuel.

“You can see the white bags on the shoreline. Those are bags of peat and, as jet fuel comes up on the water, they’re distributing peat, which absorbs the fuel. They then scoop that up, triple bag it and take it off to a qualified waste facility,” said Grenier.

The residents of Frederick are being supplied with water from CPKC as further tests by Interior Health are completed in the community.

The TNRD say while this event should not have happened, the rail company has been honest with the regional district about the impacts.

“We have to deal with it and we have to deal with it in a responsible, transparent and communicative way,” Grenier added. “We ask the questions and they get us the answers pretty quickly.”

There is currently no timeline for when the cleanup and tests will be completed.