Water

Overview

The City of Fernie's primary drinking water supply source is Fairy Creek. The City also maintains James White Park Wells as a secondary drinking water source.

The following annual report is a condition of the City’s Water System Operating Permit granted by Interior Health. The Annual Drinking Water Report provides the details on how the City’s water system operates and describes any work that was done to the system in that year.

Fernie’s Water Sources

The City’s primary drinking water source is the Fairy Creek Spring.

The James White Park Wells are a secondary source, used when Fairy Creek is unavailable due to increased turbidity, typically during freshet.

Testing and Monitoring

The City of Fernie and Teck are both independently monitoring water quality in our municipal wells and sharing data to ensure safe drinking water that meets the standards of the BC Drinking Water Quality Guidelines.

Testing shows the James White Wells are influenced by the Elk River and can experience increased selenium concentrations in spring due to seasonal fluctuations. 

In addition to the regular water testing conducted by the City as part of our Water System Operating Permit granted by Interior Health, City staff are currently undertaking sampling of the James White Wells for selenium on a bi-weekly basis. Our 2021 Annual Drinking Water Report provides provides the details on how the City’s water system operates, describes any work that was done to the system in the past year, as well as comprehensive water source testing results.

James White Park Wells

The City of Fernie experiences water quality issues each year with its primary water source, Fairy Creek- typically during spring freshet between April and June, which potentially results in the need for residents to boil their drinking water before its consumption. The City uses two production wells installed within James White Park to provide safe drinking water quality throughout the year. The wells are intended to be used for approximately three months (April through June) during the freshet and potentially on other occasions if the main source water quality becomes low. While in operation the well’s water will be extracted at a rate not to exceed 200 liters per second.

The secondary source consists of two well houses in James White Park containing the new production wells, a well control facility located adjacent to the City of Fernie Main Sewage Lift Station in James White Park, and a new water main connecting the pumped water to the existing water system.

Use of the wells was conditional on receiving an Environmental Assessment Certificate approved by the BC Ministry of Environment in keeping with the BC Environmental Assessment Act. This Environmental Assessment Certificate was granted to the City in November 2015. The information about the Environmental Assessment process and the official certificate are available online at https://projects.eao.gov.bc.ca/p/james-white-park-wells/detail.

The City is continuing work to ensure that all 23 conditions of the Environmental Assessment Certificate are being met. 

 Technical  Facts:

  • The Interior Health Authority (IHA) regulates the permitting of the construction and operation of drinking water systems in the Southern Interior of BC
  • IHA stipulates that safe drinking water, after treatment and disinfection, should normally produce a minimum chlorine residual of 0.2 mg/L
  • Health Canada reports no harmful health effects in people who drink water with large concentrations (50 mg/L) of chlorine over short periods of time
  • The concentration of residual chlorine in Fernie’s drinking water system, when using the Fairy Creek source ranges from 0.2 mg/L to 0.4 mg/L
  • The concentration of residual chlorine in Fernie’s drinking water system, when using the James White Wells source ranges from 0.8 mg/L to 1.0 mg/L

If you’re interested in additional information on our water system, please contact us through the Request for Service

James White Wells FAQ's

Water Quality (Turbidity)

The City of Fernie measures turbidity levels on an ongoing basis and publishes the Water Quality Ratings each day.

Water Quality Notices

FAIR:
What does a FAIR rating mean?
A Fair rating (Water Quality Advisory) is a notice that the City of Fernie will issue if turbidity levels exceed 1 NTU. Children, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems, and anyone seeking additional protection drink will be advised to drink boiled water or a safe alternative.
POOR
 
 
 
 
What does a POOR rating mean?
A Poor rating (Boil Water Notice) is a notice we will issue if turbidity levels exceed 5 NTU’s. All users will be advised to drink boiled water or a safe alternative.
 

Turbidity?  What is it and how does it affect me?

Public Facilities [PDF - 200 KB] If you Serve the Public you need to know this!

If you wish to receive automatic email updates on water quality please contact City Hall or call 250.423.6817 to register.

Water Shut Off

To request a temporary water shut off please contact City Hall at (250) 423-6817. The cost is $50 to shut the water off, and an additional $50 to turn it back on. Please pay the Water On/Off fee at City Hall and allow 24 hours notice to schedule the work unless it is an emergency.

New Utility Services? Contact City Hall for information regarding a New Water or Sewer Service Connection.

 

 


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