DO NOT DRINK ADVISORY Still In Effect - System Has Recovered

Patrons can now resume normal water use, but the DO NOT DRINK ADVISORY remains in effect until coliform testing has been completed.  The District expects to get those test results back from the lab tomorrow, Thursday, afternoon.

Until testing is completed to confirm that the water is safe, there is a District wide DO NOT DRINK ADVISORY in place.  DO NOT BOIL and DO NOT DRINK THE WATER.  Bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.  More details of the advisory are posted to the blog.

Note:  Because we have older homes in the District (built before 1988) that may have lead content in their service lines and plumbing, DEQ has advised that the water from your faucets should not be used for human consumption, even after boiling, until coliform testing (bacterial contamination test) has confirmed that the water is safe.  Lead is not removed by boiling the water, and will concentrate as water evaporates during the boiling process.   Please refer to the Lead Education Notice that was enclosed in your most recent bill for more details regarding lead.

Please keep checking the blog for more updates.

Transcript of Phone Message 7:45 PM

 

Phone Message February 11, 2025, 7:45 PM

This message is from the Kootenai County Water District No. 1 Board of Directors.

The repair of the raw water inlet main was completed at around 4:00 PM this afternoon.  The raw water pumps were then restarted to begin pumping source water to the sand filters and begin system recovery.  It will take at least 12-18 hours to fully recover the levels of the Sand Filters, Contact Chamber and Reservoir.   The Borley Road leak has also been repaired.

At around 8:00 PM this evening, Patrons can begin to repressurize their plumbing by slowly opening one inside faucet to vent air from their lines.

However, please continue to minimize household water use until notified by the District that the system is fully recovered.

Until testing is completed over the next few days to confirm that the water is safe, there is a District wide DO NOT DRINK ADVISORY in place.  DO NOT BOIL and DO NOT DRINK THE WATER.  Bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.  More details of the advisory are posted to the blog.

Please check the KCWD#1 blog at www.kcwd1.blogspot.com for updates, and let your neighbors know about this water system emergency, as not all Patrons have subscribed to the emergency notification system or blog.

Thank you.

Water System Emergency Update 6:15 PM, February 11, 2025

Update:  Crew completed repair of the raw water inlet main at around 4:00 PM this afternoon.  The raw water pumps were then restarted to begin pumping source water to the sand filters and begin system recovery.  It will take at least 12-18 hours to fully recover the levels of the Sand Filters, Contact Chamber and Reservoir. 

At around 8:00 PM this evening, Patrons can begin to repressurize their plumbing by slowly by opening one inside faucet to vent air from their lines.

Please continue to minimize household water use until notified by the District that the system is fully recovered.

Until testing is completed over the next few days to confirm that the water is safe, do not use the water for human consumption per the DO NOT DRINK ADVISORY below: 

DRINKING WATER WARNING

Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable.

Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

 

System Name and PWS ID#: Kootenai County Water District No. 1  PWS ID # 1280106

DO NOT DRINK ADVISORY

- Aviso para no beber el agua potable -

 

Due to Drop in Pressure

We routinely monitor the conditions in the drinking water distribution system. On February 10, 2025 we experienced a drop in water pressure below 20 psi/loss of pressure due to a break in the raw water inlet main which interrupted the production of water in the system. A drop in/loss of water pressure creates conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system through backflow, by backpressure, or back-siphonage. As a result, there is an increased chance that the drinking water may contain disease-causing organisms. In addition to the loss of pressure, water sampling over the last few years has indicated actionable levels of lead possible in older homes in our District which means you cannot boil the water. High levels of certain contaminants will increase/concentrate the levels, making them more harmful to public health. 

What should I do?

§  DO NOT BOIL and DO NOT DRINK THE WATER. Bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling the water with elevated levels of chemical contaminants, such as arsenic, lead, and nitrates, will increase/concentrate the levels, making them more harmful to public health.

 

§  Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

§  The symptoms above are caused by many types of organisms. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

What is being done?

As the repairs have been completed and the system is back online, the District will be doing field testing of water samples to verify that the water is not contaminated with disease-causing organisms. 

We will inform you when your water is safe to drink. We anticipate resolving the problem within a week.

 

For more information, please contact KCWD#1 at (208) 667-0340 or custserv.kcwd1@gmail.com

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

Water Emergency Update 2:00 PM, February 11, 2025

Crews are still working to repair the water intake line and the Borley leak, but still do not have an ETR (Estimated Time of Restoration) to report.  You may be seeing that you have some water pressure. This is due to the continuous potable water trucks that are pumping water into the Clear Well in the effort to keep the mains pressurized and refilling the reservoir.

Please continue to minimize/stop all water use until notified so that we can keep the system pressurized.

Note:  Because we have older homes in the District (built before 1988) that may have lead content in their service lines and plumbing, DEQ has advised that when the water system is fully back online, the water from your faucets should not be used for human consumption, even after boiling, until coliform testing (bacterial contamination test) has confirmed that the water is safe.  Lead is not removed by boiling the water, and will concentrate as water evaporates during the boiling process.   Please refer to the Lead Education Notice that was enclosed in your most recent bill for more details regarding lead.

Please check the blog for more updates.

Important! Update from DEQ February 11, 2025, 7:45 AM

To All Patrons:

DEQ has advised us to notify Patrons not to drink water from the system, even if boiled, until tests have verified that the water is safe.  Please use bottled water for consumption.  Thank you for your patience as we navigate this system emergency with advice from DEQ.

Transcript of Emergency Phone Call 7:15 AM, February 11, 2025

 

Phone Message February 11, 2025, 7:15 PM

This message is from the Kootenai County Water District No. 1 Board of Directors.

Stop all water use until further notice.

At around 5 AM this morning, the reservoir was out of water and all Patrons should assume that their water service has been interrupted, so that any lines that are still pressurized will stay pressurized.

Water trucks will be arriving around 7:00 AM, and the District will slowly pump water to the reservoir to repressurize lines.  The contractors will also be arriving around that time to resume work on the broken raw water inlet pipe.  The District will notify all Patrons when the repair is complete and the system has recovered sufficiently for resuming normal water use.

Patrons should assume at this time that when the water service is restored, that a BOIL ORDER is in effect until tests confirm that no contamination of the water due to depressurization occurred.  This will take several days after water service is restored.

Updates will be posted to the blog.

Note:  If you see evidence of any suspected leaks in the District, please report them immediately.  Although the Water System Manager is driving through the District to look for leaks, the District is of sufficient size that he will not necessarily know if there is an unusual amount of water surfacing in areas during these winter months.  The District is thankful to the Patrons in the last few days who notified us of the leaks we are now addressing.

Please check the KCWD#1 blog at www.kcwd1.blogspot.com for updates, and let your neighbors know about this water system emergency, as not all Patrons have subscribed to the emergency notification system or blog.

Thank you.

District-wide Water Service Interruption

Stop all water use until further notice.

At around 5 AM this morning, the reservoir was out of water and any Patron on a gravity feed, from the reservoir does, or will shortly, not have water.  There may still be some water in the Vista Booster small reservoir at that booster pump house, but those Patrons should NOT turn their water on at all in order to keep mains pressurized.  Gouse Meadows booster does not have a reservoir, so water will be interrupted through that system, also.

Water trucks will be arriving around 7:00 AM, and the District will slowly pump water to the reservoir to repressurize lines.  The contractors will also be arriving around that time to resume work on the broken raw water inlet pipe.

When water service is restored, Patrons should repressurize slowly by turning one faucet on slowly inside the home to vent air, and then do the same one at a time with other faucets.

Patrons should assume at this time that when the water service is restored, that a BOIL ORDER is in effect until tests confirm that no contamination of the water due to depressurization occurred.  This will take several days after water service is restored.

Directions for BOIL ORDER:

1. Water to be consumed for drinking and cooking should be boiled for one (1) minute before use.  Use bottled water for drinking and cooking if you are concerned.
2. Water for other household use, such as laundry, does not have to be boiled.  Dishwashers can be used as the combination of hot water and detergents are designed to disinfect.

Note:  If you see evidence of any suspected leaks in the District, please report them immediately.  Although the Water System Manager is driving through the District to look for leaks, the District is of sufficient size that he will not necessarily know if there is an unusual amount of water surfacing in areas during these winter months.  The District is thankful to the Patrons in the last few days who notified us of the leaks we are now addressing.

Update on Water Emergency 8:00 PM, February 10, 2025

Transcript of the Emergency Phone Message 8:00 PM:

Phone Message February 10, 2025, 8:00 PM

This message is from the Kootenai County Water District No. 1 Board of Directors.

This is an update on the Water System Emergency.

At this hour, it has become unsafe for the repair work to continue on the raw water intake main on Sunnyside Road.  Crews will be back on site tomorrow around 7:45 AM in order to complete the repairs and get raw water pumping to the sand filters.

The District will be bringing in an additional 7000 gallons of potable water over the next 2 hours to enable us to get through the night.

Please continue to minimize any water use until further notice.  The discovery, and the subsequent valving off, of the leak discovered on Borley Road this evening, is helping to raise the reservoir level, but the level is still quite low. If the reservoir empties, the distribution system could become depressurized to the extent that a boil order would have to be put in place.

Patrons on lower Borley Road and Chelsea will have their service interrupted until that discovered leak can be repaired.  That repair will begin after the raw water intake main repair is completed.

The District will notify all Patrons when the repair is complete and the system has recovered sufficiently for resuming normal water use. 

Please check the KCWD#1 blog at www.kcwd1.blogspot.com for updates, and let your neighbors know about this water system emergency, as not all Patrons have subscribed to the emergency notification system or blog.

Thank you.

NEW LEAK ON BORLEY ROAD

ATTENTION PATRONS ON LOWER BORLEY ROAD.  A LARGE LEAK HAS BEEN DISCOVERED.  PLEASE BE ADVISED THERE WILL BE A DISRUPTION TO WATER SERVICE ON LOWER BORLEY ROAD AND CHELSEA.  WORK WILL BE BEGIN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

UPDATE ON THE MAIN BREAK:  BIG SKY CREW IS STILL WORKING ON THE MAIN REPAIR ON SUNNYSIDE.  THEY WILL BE WORKING THROUGH THE EVENING UNTIL THIS REPAIR IS COMPLETED AND WE ARE ABLE TO TURN THE PUMPS ON AND THE SYSTEM HAS SUFFICIENTLY RECOVERED TO ALLOW MINIMAL USAGE.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO STOP ALL WATER USAGE AND CHECK THE BLOG FOR THE LATEST UPDATES. 

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED COOPERATION.

Stop All Water Use Immediately! 12:45 PM Monday, February 10. 2025

Transcript of Emergency Phone Message:

Phone Message February 10, 2025, 12:45 PM

This message is from the Kootenai County Water District No. 1 Board of Directors.

The District is still experiencing a water service emergency due to a break in the raw water inlet main pipe going into the sand filter plant.

Please!  It is imperative that all Patrons stop any water use immediately until further notice, as the previous request to reduce use to a minimum has not been sufficiently done to allow the District to maintain water in the reservoir to supply the demand even with continuously bringing in 3000 gallon potable water trucks!  We are now at a dangerously low level of a half foot in the reservoir, and if it drops further, the distribution system could become depressurized to the extent that a boil order would have to be put in place. 

The District will notify all Patrons when the repair is complete and the system has recovered sufficiently for resuming normal water use.  We are anticipating that the repair will be complete by the end of today.

Please check the KCWD#1 blog at www.kcwd1.blogspot.com for updates, and let your neighbors know about this water system emergency, as not all Patrons have subscribed to the emergency notification system or blog.

Thank you.

Water Emergency Update 9:00 PM Sunday

UPDATE:  As of 9:00 PM Sunday, the reservoir is sitting just below 8 feet (maximum is 13 feet).  Level is lower than we started this morning, as the potable water trucks were not able to keep up with the total demand today.  At this time Water District is manually controlling valves and moving existing water through the sand filters (and will shut off to maintain a minimum level above the filter sand) to refill the contact chamber to try to bring the reservoir level up as much as possible overnight.

Thank you to all the Patrons for minimizing their water use throughout today.  

Please continue to minimize water to essential use only until notified.  

Contractor will be onsite tomorrow morning, and after equipment is in place, will begin excavating to uncover the broken main in order to make repairs.  It is estimated that Traffic Control will be in place beginning around 9:00 AM on Sunnyside Road near the filter plant as one lane will need to be shut down.  Please use alternate routes if possible.

Please check the KCWD#1 blog at www.kcwd1.blogspot.com for updates, and let your neighbors know about this water system emergency, as not all Patrons have subscribed to the emergency notification system or blog.  

Water System Emergency Sunday, February 9, 2025

Transcript of Emergency Phone Notification:

Phone Message February 9, 2025, 1:20 PM

This message is from the Kootenai County Water District No. 1 Board of Directors.

This is to notify you of a water service emergency.  This morning, the District was notified of, and discovered, a break in the raw water inlet main pipe going into the sand filter plant.

In order to stop the water leaking, the raw water pumps have been shut down, and must remain so, until the repair is complete.  Because of the location of the break, the District has had to call in a third party contractor with the necessary equipment to do this repair.  Big Sky Corp. will be on site to begin the repair tomorrow morning, Monday, at 7:00 AM.  The District has arranged for potable water trucks to keep filling the contact chamber reservoir in order to maintain water in the distribution system, but this will not keep up with normal demand. 

The District asks that all Patrons reduce their water use to a minimum, immediately, until further notice.  The District will notify all Patrons when the repair is complete and the system has recovered sufficiently for resuming normal water use.

Please check the KCWD#1 blog at www.kcwd1.blogspot.com for updates, and let your neighbors know about this water system emergency, as not all Patrons have subscribed to the emergency notification system or blog.

Thank you.