The City of Abbotsford has been severely impacted by the flooding in B.C., and now it has told its residents in the Sumas Prairie region to not drink or use the water.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the Abbotsford Mayor, Henry Braun, told the public that the new water advisory is due to the "inaccessible water main breaches that are impacting the drinking water system," that came after intense flooding.
The result is that any running water in the Sumas Prairie can only be used for flushing toilets. It can not be used for anything else, such as drinking, showering, or cooking.
"As you can imagine, this is not clean water," Braun added.
"We know there is hazardous, potentially toxic, material in these floodwaters, which is why we need to complete an environmental assessment of the area to ensure it is safe," he said.
He also said that that there are things like fertilizer, fuel tanks, tractors, and vehicles, underwater in the flooding areas, potentially contaminating the water.
There are also around 1,200 acres of blueberries underwater, according to Braun, who also said they have most likely died.
This is one of the many losses that the flooding had caused, including many farm animals and investments.
Braun also added that they are focused on preparing for the weather in the upcoming days, which is expected to be a lot of rain and storms yet again.
The water advisory notice said that the water is not safe to drink in the areas outlined in the map below.
B.C. is currently in a state of emergency after dealing with the tragic consequences of the storms last week.
While working to repair and recover from the weather, already flooded areas are now preparing for another round of storms.
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