New water woes in the Big Eddy — UPDATED!

A new pump and six hours work to install it appear to have resolved Wednesday's water woes at the Big Eddy Waterworks. Revelstoke Current file photo
A new pump and six hours work to install it appear to have resolved Wednesday’s water woes at the Big Eddy Waterworks. Revelstoke Current file photo

By David F. Rooney

A new pump and six hours of work to install it appear to have resolved Wednesday’s water woes at the Big Eddy Waterworks.

“I was just informed that, after about six hours of work, the pump has been installed and is up and running,” Mike Thomas, Revelstoke’s director of Engineering and Development Services, told The Current in an e-mail at about 9:05 pm. “I haven’t been in contact with the Big Eddy yet to see if there are any remaining issues, or what the status of the reservoir levels is, or how long it will be to have the other pump returned to service.”

Thomas said he would determine what’s up on Thursday morning.

Residents of the Big Eddy feared a broken pump might have meant they’d receive a Boil Water Advisory if it couldn’t be replaced. A notice posted on the Stoke List at noon Wednesday, June 29, said:

“The reservoir water level in the Big Eddy are not just low… They are stopped. Both water pumps are now broke down. As in Dead in the Water. No pun intended. One was down for maintenance, rebuild and well re-casing. Now as of this morning the second pump has FAILED. No water being pumped at all. So no water going into resivoir for the near future. So : No Usage unless ABSOLUTELY necessary… BEWB”

Mike Thomas, Revelstoke’s director of Engineering and Development Services, said his department has stepped up to assist the Big Eddy Water Board even though it has not yet assumed responsibility for the water board’s operations.

“I was just out there,” Thomas said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. “A replacement pump is on its way here and should be installed in about an hour.”

With the new pump now in place clean water should not be a problem for Big Eddy residents.