August 29, 2025
Yesterday evening, August 28, the City of Nelson learned that a section of Anderson Creek, located in the Fairview neighbourhood of Nelson, was running dry. After being notified of the problem, crews worked through the night to resolve the issue.
The incident was related to an emergency repair that took place earlier in the day at the Five Mile Creek water intake, which supplies 70 per cent of the City’s drinking water. In order to complete the work, the water intake at this location was bypassed (shut down), and the city’s water was supplied entirely by our secondary sources, which are Anderson and Selous Creeks. Using the secondary sources, the city's system was able to meet the city’s demand. The bypass was in place for six hours, and was lifted shortly after 4pm.
Due to a number of unanticipated factors, including infiltration in the creekbed (the amount of water that seeps into the ground), and high residential water consumption, the amount of water flow that was left to supply Anderson proved to be insufficient. The City of Nelson holds a license to divert 1.5 million gallons of water per day from this system in order to supply Nelson households.
The City has been made aware that a number of fish were found in the creek bed when the water levels dropped. City personnel are working closely with environmental consultants, biologists, and regulatory officials to investigate this incident.
All three water sources are now online and supplying water to the city. However, all three creeks (5 Mile, Anderson, and Selous) are at their seasonal lowest point, and it is vital for city residents to adhere to stage 2 water restrictions. Detailed information about restrictions can be found on the City's website at https://nelson.ca/378/Water-Restrictions.
We thank those who brought this concern to the City and want to remind residents to report non-emergency incidents by phone to 250-352-3103. In an emergency, call 9-1-1.
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