Tap water is safe again for roughly 300 homes in West Kelowna, British Columbia, after a five-day do-not-consume order was lifted.
The alert followed a security breach at the Tallus reservoir last Thursday evening when an intrusion alarm activated after someone attempted to open the rooftop hatch. Police say three youths drilled into bolts-mistaking them for locks-unaware they were tampering with a critical water facility.
“They thought it might be a bunker,” said West Kelowna RCMP Const. Ginny Folster. “Once they realized it was a reservoir, they left immediately.”
Water tests for E. coli, coliforms, metals, and oil came back negative, according to city operations manager Patrick Pulak.
One youth later came forward after seeing media coverage. No charges have been filed, but the investigation continues.
The city plans to boost reservoir security with fencing, cameras, reinforced hatches, and clearer signage identifying the sites as protected water infrastructure.
“We’ll debrief and ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Pulak said.