Water Quality

UBC Okanagan faculty, staff and students often express interest in the source and quality of their drinking water on campus.

Drinking water for the UBC Okanagan campus comes from Glenmore Ellison Irrigation District (GEID). The GEID is a public water utility operated by the City of Kelowna.

The district’s principal source of water is the McKinley reservoir which is filled from Okanagan lake. All water is treated prior to being released into the distribution system.

Water treatment and quality

To ensure drinking water meets provincial regulations and federal guidelines for safe water consumption, the GEID has a monitoring program within the distribution system as well as in the watershed.

The Ministry of Health Services also regularly analyzes water from within the distribution system for bacteriological contamination and periodically for a wide range of chemical parameters. Concerns about drinking water on campus should be directed to Facilities Management or HSE.

Drinking water access

Funded by the Students’ Union, Facilities Management, the Sustainability office, and Health and Wellbeing, alternative water purification systems are available at kiosks in every major building on campus.

Please note: These drinking water kiosks are not drains—avoid putting any liquids into the kiosks.