The Town of Ponoka drinking water comes from the Red Deer Treatment Plant. There is a regional water line that connects Blackfalds, Lacombe and Ponoka to The City of Red Deer Treatment Plant.
Receiving Water Boil Advisories
Boil water advisories are issued through the Town of Ponoka Notification Service and App. Notifications are also posted here on the Town's website and on social media @TownofPonoka.
To receive notifications on the Town of Ponoka Notification Service and App, download the Voyent Alert app onto your smartphone by visiting the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Then simply enter your location and follow the instructions.
If you would rather receive alerts by email, text or recorded voice calls, you can register online here.
For more information about the Town of Ponoka Notification Service and App, please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a boil advisory mean?
The Town of Ponoka is confident in our water quality and in most cases a boil water advisory is used as a precautionary measure.
Boil water advisories are issued when the Town of Ponoka suspects the presence of harmful microbes, like E.coli bacteria or Giardia parasites in the drinking water supply. Consuming water that carries these microbes can make you and your pets sick; however boiling the water kills these microbes making the water safe for consumption.
Boil water advisories may be issued for the following reasons:
- Water leaks or main breaks where contamination is possible
- Depressurization of water mains
- Contaminants that enter the water distribution system from The City of Red Deer Water Treatment Plant
What do I do if the Town issues an boil water advisory notice?
Water should be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute. Boiled water, bottled water, or water from another public supply not affected by the advisory, should be used for the following:
- For drinking or preparing beverages (including coffee)
- For making formula and baby food and for washing baby bottles
- For washing and preparing food to be eaten raw (fruit, vegetables, etc.)
- For preparing food that doesn’t require long cooking (canned soup, dessert, etc.)
- For making ice cubes
- For brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth
Discard all ice cubes, food, and beverages, that were made with unboiled water after the boil water advisory was issued.
I drank/cooked with the water before I knew about the boil water advisory, what should I do?
The Town of Ponoka will issue a boil water advisory as a precautionary measure.
If you are immunocompromised or have specific health-related questions, please contact Alberta Health Link at 811.
Can I take a shower or bath?
Adults and teens may take showers or bathe during a boil water advisory. Older children could also be given a shower with a hand-held showerhead, avoiding the face. Due to the higher risk of younger children drinking bath water, they should be given a sponge bath instead of bathing them in a tub.
Is there anything I can do?
Residents can help flush the system by running water in their bathtub for one to two minutes after water services have been restored (in the event of a water leak, main break or depressurization) and/or when a boil water advisory has been issued.
For more information on how to use water safely during a boil water advisory, please click here.
