Photo: Contributed - Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Update -- Dec. 18

Interior Health has rescinded the Do Not Use water order for the Rock Ridge Canyon Water System.

Test results from the well and Wolfe Creek indicate that water in the area does not present a risk to health and is considered safe for bathing, recreation and drinking.

Standard drinking water guidelines, including proper filtration and disinfection prior to consumption, continue to apply.

Update -- Dec. 16

A do not use water order has been rescinded for the Wolfe Creek area, located immediately downstream from the Copper Mountain Mine to the mouth of the Similkameen River.

The water ban went into place following a tailings spill on Dec. 10, but Interior Health was quick to note it was a tailings line spill and not the whole pond.

IH says a thorough review of water samples taken from Wolfe Creek and Lorne Lake show that water in the area does not present a risk to health and is considered safe for bathing, recreation and drinking.

Although standard drinking water guidelines continue to apply, such as proper filtration and disinfection prior to consumption.

The same water order remains in place for the Rock Ridge Canyon Water System, pending additional sampling results.

Residents should not use water for drinking (even boiled), bathing or recreation.

Interior Health says they will provide an update on the Rock Ridge Canyon system when results become available.

Update 12 p.m. Friday

The chief inspector of mines, Al Hoffman updated Castanet on the tailings spill near Princeton.

"Staff with the ministries of Environment, and Energy and Mines are onsite at Copper Mountain Mine near Princeton responding to a spill from a tailings pipe," he said.

Hoffman said the mine notified him Wednesday night that a plugged tailings line had resulted in an overflow into Wolf Creek.

Copper Mountain Mine staff then installed silt curtains in the creek to help prevent tailings flowing further down the creek. 

First Nations representatives from the Upper Similkameen Indian Band are also at the site, he said.

"Hourly testing of downstream water samples indicate these measures are working. No tailings have been detected in the creek 300 metres downstream from the tailings storage facility."

Staff are working with the mine to determine the volume of tailings that actually reached the creek. It had earlier been reported that up to 500 tonnes of material had overflowed.

As a precautionary measure Interior Health has issued a Do Not Use order for water from Wolfe Creek immediately downstream from Copper Mountain Mine to the mouth of the Similkameen River.

Further updates will be provided as information comes available.

A tailings spill at Copper Mountain Mine near Princeton has prompted a water ban for residents near Wolfe Creek.

Interior Health has issued a Do Not Use order for water from Wolfe Creek immediately downstream from Copper Mountain Mine to the mouth of the Similkameen River following a Dec. 10 tailings line spill at the mine.

This advisory covers anyone drawing water from Wolfe Creek below the mine to the mouth of the Similkameen, Lorne Lake, as well as residents using water drawn from wells adjacent to Wolfe Creek.

Karl Hardt, communications officer for Interior Health said "It was the tailings line, not the whole pond."

Under a Do Not Use order, residents should not use water for drinking (even boiled), bathing or recreation.

Interior Health is currently awaiting further assessments and water sample data, and will advise residents as soon as more information is available.

The Ministry of Environment could not be immediately reached for comment.