City of Merritt Evacuated After Flood Caused Sewage Failure

An evacuation order has been issued covering the entire population of Merritt as the City fights to stay above water.

Earlier this morning massive flooding in the Clearwater River, which runs north of the City, hit the City’s wastewater plant, eventually causing its complete failure.

As a result, officials are saying continued habitation without proper sanitary services presents the risk of both a mass sewage back-up, and health risks.

At around 8:00 this morning, the City had issued residents a “don’t flush” alert, to prevent further damage to the system.

Now, officials have determined the threat to be an immediate danger to public safety, and are evacuating all 7,100 residents.

Residents are being directed to take different routes of evacuation, depending on their location, and you can find a link to the Order directions at this link.