Alberta Health Services is keeping the boil water advisory in effect until at least September.
People who live in Fort McMurray, Anzac, Draper, Gregoire Lake Estates, and Saprae Creek Estates must boil their water before consuming.
Rising waters off the Athabasca River started flowing the wrong way down an overflow pipe which caused the river to mix with drinking water, forcing the municipality to do a deep clean.
Those in Anzac and Gregoire Lake Estates who use water tanks with trucked water from the Conklin Water Treatment Plant are not affected.
The advisory also doesn’t impact Conklin, Fort Chipewyan, Fort Fitzgerald, Fort McKay, and Janvier.
Indigenous Services Canada has secured an alternative water source for the Fort McMurray #468 First Nation.
The Northern Lights Regional Health Centre isn’t impacted as they using water from CIVEO’s treatment plant.
Those who don’t have running water due to the flood can receive up to three cases of bottled water per visit to the staging area which has been moved to the municipal parking lot at the corner of MacDonald Avenue and Morrison Street.
Residents must show their ID to prove they live in a flood-affected area or show proof they’ve registered with the Canadian Red Cross.
AHS won’t remove the advisory until the Water Treatment Plant and the entire 375 km potable water distribution system has been flushed, disinfected, and tested.
The RMWB, in conjunction with Associated Engineering, has a five-phase plan to complete this work and is awaiting approval from AHS and Alberta Environment and Parks.
The first stage has the plant being flushed and decontaminated.
The second step involves involves temporarily installing flushing and diffusing equipment on fire hydrants and having them flushed for 10-12 hours per day to turn over water from the Thickwood and Timberlea reservoirs and distribution networks.
The third phase focuses on flushing in he Lower Townsite and Waterways.
Beacon Hill and Saprae Creek will be the focus of the fourth phase.
The last step is a 20-day final flush of the entire system.
People looking for more information can visit AHS’s website.
