District of Barriere advises residents to prepare for a week of discolored water

BARRIERE, B.C. — The District of Barriere says residents can expect some discoloration in their water for the next week or so – but it is still safe to consume.

In an email to residents sent Monday (Nov. 2), the district says it encountered “unforeseen issues” with one of its wells and needs to take it out of service to undertake remedial work, starting Tuesday.

In the interim, Barriere residents will get their water from Well PW1 in Bradford Park, which “contains slightly elevated levels of manganese, which may cause temporary discoloration of the water.”

While the water is safe to drink and use in cooking, the district says residents with young children may wish to use bottled water as a precaution. Users are also advised the manganese may react when users add bleach to the water, intensifying the discoloration.

Crews are expecting the work on the offline well is expected to take about one week.

Anyone who wants to learn more about the effects of manganese in water is asked to visit this page.

This is not the first time where the Barriere residents have been subject to water restrictions or advisories because of the community’s wells.