British Columbia

Tofino issues boil water advisory after chlorination failure

The problem has been fixed, but the district-wide alert will remain in place for at least 48 hours.

The problem has been fixed, but the district-wide alert will remain in place for at least 48 hours

Water coming out from a tap.
A boil water advisory has been issued for the District of Tofino after the chlorination system failed. (CBC)

A precautionary boil water advisory has been issued for the District of Tofino after the chlorination system failed Sunday night.

In an alert, the district says the system is now operating normally but requires at least 48 hours to ensure water is safe for consumption.

Bob MacPherson, Tofino's CAO, said the problem was detected Monday morning and is related to an ongoing upgrade that has the town switching to liquid chlorine for its water purification.

"Overnight, the system — for reasons we have yet to discover — stopped putting chlorine in our water," he said. "We really regret that this has happened."

Residents are advised to boil water for all domestic purposes including drinking, cooking and teeth brushing.

Water should be brought to a rolling boil for at least two minutes before it is considered safe.

The district says updates will be provided as information becomes available at www.tofino.ca, on the District of Tofino Facebook and Twitter feeds or through the front office at 250-725-3229.