After consultation with the Ministry of Environment and representatives from the Regional District of East Kootenay, Interior Health is issuing a precautionary Water Quality Advisory for Jaffray related to a large diesel spill that occurred Feb. 11 at a local service station.
There are no observed impacts to groundwater at this time. Users of groundwater in Jaffray are advised to monitor their water and use an alternate source of water if they notice any changes in their water such as fuel odour or an oil sheen. Diesel fuel has a very distinct odour that should be noticeable at very low concentrations in drinking water.
The Ministry of Environment is on site and providing direction for clean-up and remediation. Interior Health has provided recommendations for sampling and ongoing monitoring of groundwater in the area to assess impacts to drinking water.
Please check the Regional District of East Kootenay website and our Media Centre for further updates.