Water warning in Ashcroft area downgraded

KAMLOOPS – A health alert for the Ashcroft area has been downgraded.

The Interior Health Authority is changing its Do Not Consume order to a Water Quality Advisory as of today, Feb. 16, according to a media release. The Do Not Consume order was put in place after a train derailment spilled coal into the Thompson River on Jan. 12.

The advisory covers the length of the Thompson River between the site of the spill, seven kilometres south of Ashcroft, to the meeting of the Thompson and Fraser rivers near Lytton, the release says. It will be in place until the spilled coal is cleaned up or the spill site is determined to not be a risk.

The downgrading comes after tests didn’t detect processing chemicals in the coal. The advisory means there is no elevated short-term risk over other water sources, but the health authority isn’t able to determine long-term health effects, the release states.

Boiling water will not reduce the risk, therefore alternative water sources are recommended.

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