City of Merritt says Phase 4 residents may gain day access by the end of the week

MERRITT — The City of Merritt says residents in the Phase 4 boundary of the return plan may be allowed day access to their homes by the end of the week.

Depending on weather conditions, Phase 4 residents could be allowed day access by Friday (Dec. 3).

“This is very contingent on many factors including what happens with the current weather system advancing towards Merritt, and how well our reinforcements along the Coldwater River hold as river levels rise,” said Merritt Information Officer, Alan Stebbing, in an email.

Infrastructure is still greatly impacted and crews continue to work on flushing and sampling the Merritt water system to ensure the system is safe for residents.

The city is in daily contact with the Environmental Health Staff at Interior Health, who are responsible for certifying its water system.

If water overtops the banks and flooding occurs, then the infrastructure may once again be affected and plans to allow the return of residents in Phase 3 and Phase 4 may be set back, the City says.

Plans and preparations are being made by the City to withstand the upcoming wind storm.

“While Merritt may not be forecast to get significant amounts of rain, the Coldwater River watershed reaches all the way up into the Coquihalla and covers over 300km2, and therefore it is impacted by multiple environmental elements and weather systems,” said Stebbing.

The City of Merritt will announce to the public on Thursday (Dec. 2) whether or not day access will be permitted to Phase 4 on Friday (Dec. 3).