Truck spills thousands of litres of gas and diesel near Shuswap River

SHUSWAP – After a truck spilt thousands of liters of gas and diesel near the Shuswap River, residents are being advised to check their water.

A crash this morning, May 16, on Enderby Mabel Lake Road saw a tanker truck spill 4,090 litres of gasoline and 12,500 litres of diesel into a flooded field near the river, according to an Interior Health release.

Interior Health says residents along the river in the impacted area should not use water if it smells or tastes like fuel or if there is fuel visible in the water, including drinking, bathing or brush teeth.

The water advisory affects residents living along the Shuswap River from about six kilometers east of Ashton Creek to the mouth of the river at Mara Lake.

Water system operators in the Enderby and Grinrod regions have been contacted, the release says. Ministry of Environment and environmental consultants are working to contain the spill.

David Karn with Ministry of Environment would only say they were aware of the incident and there is "no confirmation of environmental impact.”

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