Boil water advisory issued for Westham Island in Delta, just days after bridge access cut off

A precautionary boil water advisory has been issued for Westham Island, effective immediately.

This comes days after the Westham Island Bridge was closed to traffic after it was struck by a boat.

While conducting an assessment after the strike, the city discovered a leak in the watermain that runs in the Fraser River underneath the bridge.

The city says the advisory is just a precaution as additional water quality testing is performed, and there is no confirmed contamination in the water supply.

“While the city conducts water sampling and assessments of the water system, Westham Island Residents are advised to use only boiled or bottled water for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing ready-to-eat foods, washing dishes, or making infant formula.”

As well, it says bottled water will be delivered for residents to use.

“It will be available at the foot of the bridge on the Westham Island side by 8 p.m. tonight,” it said.

Vehicle access to Westham Island in Delta cut off after barge strike

The Westham Island Bridge remains closed after being hit by a boat earlier this week, and TransLink does not have an estimated time of reopening.

The closure is bad news for some 200 residents of the bridge, located in Delta, as the bridge provides the only roadway to and from the community.

On Tuesday, the swing bridge was damaged after being struck by a barge. Now the only way to cross is on foot.

TransLink says its original plan was to have repairs completed quickly, but it says an updated assessment from a structural engineer shows this is not possible.

“Our crews are on the bridge right now, looking at the damage, and we’ll be making subsequent repairs once we get more information,” said TransLink spokesperson Thor Diakow.

Meanwhile, Delta Mayor George Harvie says the city is trying to figure out a way to get goods and produce on and off the island, which is mostly farmland.

“We need to get an emergency vehicle from the fire department over there, to stay over there and to respond immediately to any situation that they have to be called for,” Harvie said.

It isn’t clear what caused the barge to hit the bridge, which, at more than 110 years old, is one of the oldest bridges in B.C.

Editor’s note: a previous version of this story had stated the bridge was hit by a boat on Wednesday. The bridge was actually hit on Tuesday.