A leak was fixed on Saturday, but the community remains under the advisory until the water system is back to full operation

Michael John Lo
May 26, 2025 10:45 AM

Residents of Bamfield remain under a boil-water advisory following emergency repairs for a leak in the region’s water system.

The Alberni Clayoquot Regional District announced the advisory on Saturday after a “significant water leak” was discovered in the morning.

A fix with repair parts was complete by 7 p.m. Saturday, but the community remains under the boil-water advisory until the water system is back to full operation, Eddy Kunderman, operations manager at the district, said Monday.

He said the district will take samples of the water and Island Health will test those to ensure safe water quality before the boil-water advisory is lifted.

That could take up to seven days, said Kunderman.

The parts to fix the leak were sourced from the regional district and the City of Port Alberni, he said.

The water-treatment plant has been filling reservoirs, the district said. Once the reservoirs were at an acceptable level, the system was flushed and pressurized and back up on Sunday.

During the outage, nearby Huu-ay-aht First Nation provided bathroom access and potable water out of its government offices on Nookemus Road during the water shutdown on Saturday.

The majority of the Bamfield water system was constructed around 1980. The system has 242 water connections to homes and businesses.

The community has 256 year-round residents and attracts thousands of travellers and seasonal residents in the summer.

Bamfield draws its water from Sugsaw Lake.

mjlo,,,timescolonist.com

https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/bamfield-under-boil-water-advisory-for-up-to-a-week-10709153