Entire city of Merritt ordered to evacuate after flooding of wastewater treatment plant

The entire City of Merritt, population 7,000, is under an evacuation order after flooding caused the complete failure of the municipality's wastewater treatment plant leading to what city officials are calling an "immediate danger to public health and safety."

"Continued habitation of the community without sanitary services presents risk of mass sewage back-up and personal health risk," reads the order issued by the city at 10:05 a.m. PT Monday.

"The wastewater treatment plant is inundated and non-operational and will be for an indefinite period of time," said the order, which asked residents to try to make plans to stay with friends or family outside the community, which is located in B.C.'s southern Interior, around 200 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

Those without that option are being told to go to either Kamloops or Kelowna, where emergency evacuation centres have been set up. Merritt residents with odd-numbered addresses are being asked to head to Kamloops, while residents with even-numbered addresses are asked to go to Kelowna.

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/merritt-wastewater-system-failure-dont-flush-1.6249377