PRESS RELEASE – False Statements in Local Media Concerning the Operation of the Village of Harrison Hot Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant
for Immediate Release
Mayor Talen and Council would like to thank all the residents and businesses who limited their use of water to help to reduce the impact to the Wastewater Treatment Plant during the most recent heavy rainfall event. Each of us plays a vital role in working together as a community to ensure the long-term health, safety, and sustainability of Harrison Hot Springs.
Local Media published a Letter to the Editor that asserted that, through negligence, the Village of Harrison Hot Springs was compromising public health by discharging “hundreds of thousands of litres of sanitary sewage into the mouth of the Harrison River/Lake”.
This statement is entirely false.
At no time during the month of December 2025 did the Village of Harrison Hot Springs discharge untreated wastewater directly into the Harrison River or Harrison Lake.
The heavy rains in December 2025 resulted in large amounts of storm water entering the Village’s sanitary sewer system. As a result, the Village’s Wastewater Treatment Plant was operating at full capacity to minimize the impact to residential and commercial properties.
The Village will be working over the coming months to address several identified locations of infiltration and inundation (I&I) of storm water entering the sanitary sewer system. All waters that enter the sanitary sewer system are treated by the Wastewater Treatment Plant before being discharged into the Harrison River.
The Village of Harrison Hot Springs operates its Water Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant in accordance with Provincial guidelines and regulations.
For more information, please visit www.harrisonhotsprings.ca or contact the Village Office at 604-796-2171