Evacuation Order for Killiney Beach Properties News Release #88

Localized Flooding May 2017

An Evacuation Order has been issued for five waterfront properties in the Killiney Beach area within the Central Okanagan West Electoral Area.  Occupants of one of the five are affected and were previously under an Evacuation Alert issued on May 27th.

  • 9415 Hodges Road

  • 9425 Hodges Road

  • 9435 Hodges Road

  • 9445 Hodges Road

  • 9467 Kilkenny Place

Emergency Support Services will provide assistance to those affected by the Evacuation Order as needed.

All previous Evacuation Alerts remain in effect and residents in those areas should be prepared to leave on short notice if conditions change and there is a threat to public safety.  Check out the map at www.cordemergency.ca/map and search by address to determine if an area is under alert or order, or to find the closest sand and sandbag locations.

Residents should keep all flood protection defenses in place until they’re advised that they can be removed especially those with properties along Okanagan Lake, which continues to rise and may not peak until the middle of the month.

It’s recommended that property owners who draw water from Okanagan and other local lakes through private water lines check the integrity of lake-sourced water lines. Lines may have been dislodged, severed or moved by floating debris and other hazards which could impact the system.  For information about drinking water safety visit the Interior Health website https://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourEnvironment/EmergencyPreparedness/Documents/After%20Flood%20-%20Water%20Safety.pdf

Waterfront property owners with septic systems may be impacted due to rising water levels and water tables. It’s recommended that property owners don’t use septic systems until water in the soil absorption field is 90cm lower than the field. Property owners should not pump a septic tank until water levels recede, as hydraulic pressure may lift the tank and damage the system. Property owners are advised to use water sparingly when home, as the disposal field may still be saturated and will have limited capacity to absorb effluent. A qualified professional should be contacted if there are concerns the system may have been damaged. Interior Health’s website has the following information on septic systems:  https://www.interiorhealth.ca/YourEnvironment/HBE/Pages/Onsite-Sewerage-Systems.aspx  Additional information is available from the Provincial Government at: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/keeping-bc-healthy-safe/health-emergency-response/sewage_systems_and_flooding.pdf

Those residents and businesses that have been impacted by flooding, may qualify for financial support.  Applications to the Provincial Disaster Financial Assistance program must be submitted to Emergency Management BC by August 5th.  Information is available online at www.gov.bc.ca/disasterfinancialassistance.  In addition, the Red Cross has a financial assistance program to help eligible BC residents whose households were evacuated and damaged by flood waters.  Register online at www.redcross.ca/gethelp or by calling 1-800-863-6582.

Central Okanagan property owners are reminded that if they are pumping water from homes or other structures, where possible they should pump into natural areas, nearby creeks, ditches or lawns and not into storm drains or the sanitary sewer system.  Pumping into sanitary sewers can overtax water treatment facilities and could lead to potential backups of wastewater into their properties.

For municipal information such as boat launch, park and beach closures, and water quality advisories, visit their websites:

For more information, visit www.cordemergency.ca, sign up for e-updates or call the information line at 250-469-8490.