Summerland will not be left completely dry during a three-day water shutoff in March.
The shutoff, on March 3 at 7 p.m. to March 6 at 7 a.m., is necessary for maintenance to a large water main.
“The risk of catastrophic failure increases the longer this work is delayed,” a statement from the municipality reads. “The circumstances would likely cause water main breaks and other issues due to the high pressure caused by the failure. For example, with such signIficant increased pressure from a failure, water systems within a home could blow up or roads could be washed away.”
The water main, from the water treatment plant to Pressure Reducing Valve Station #10, is 107 centimetres in diameter.
The 3.4-kilometre line needs to be drained during this maintenance.
The valve reduces the pressure from the high-pressure line.
Initially, residents and businesses were told to prepare for three days with no water, but Mayor Peter Waterman said the taps will not run dry during the entire time.
Staff have been working to minimize the effects of the shutdown.
“There will be a bit of water, but not a lot of pressure and not a lot of water,” he said, adding that there will be an intermittent supply during the shutdown.
He added that the maintenance work and the subsequent shutdown cannot be avoided.
“This is a replacement issue that has to be done,”he said.
This month, the municipality will hold two information sessions about the planned shutdown, on Oct. 25 and Oct. 27 at Centre Stage Theatre. Both sessions will begin at 7 p.m.