A water advisory for 14 homes in the Seabird Island community has been lifted after 25 days.
The Sq’éwqel community announced on Monday that the the tap water for homes along Chowat and Seabird Island roads is now safe, several weeks after a diesel fuel spill along the train tracks near the Maria Slough.
The First Nations Health Authority advised residents in the affected homes to run cold water for one full minute and to wash any screens on their faucets with soap and water before making full use of water again.
On the evening of March 1, a VIA passenger train passing through the area hit debris along the tracks, damaging a fuel tank and causing the spill of a significant amount of diesel fuel. There were nearly 140 people on board and no injuries were reported.
Several agencies worked with Seabird Island authorities to bring water to homes potentially affected by the spills, clean up the spill and carefully watch the water supply for any signs of contamination.
The monitoring wells will continue to be sampled moving forward, indefinitely.
Anyone with immediate questions or concerns can contact Seabird Island emergency preparedness coordinator Danika Snook at 604-202-0834.