BC Hydro is warning people in advance of annual public warning system tests happening next week along the Puntledge River.
The tests are planned from May 14-16, and temporary signage will be set up along the river system.
The sirens will be tested manually on May 14, with any necessary repairs or adjustments on May 15. Finally on May 16 BC Hydro will test the system by sending a pulse of water from the Comox Dam to trigger the warning system. BC Hydro staff will be set up along the river to monitor the test.
Ted Olynyk with the utility says BC Hydro is focused on community safety.
“This test is also a reminder of potential hazards along the Puntledge River. Public safety is very important to BC Hydro, and it’s one of the primary reasons we communicate regularly about our operations,” he says. “The sirens and strobe lights are placed along the Puntledge River from the Comox Dam to Puntledge Park to warn of river flow increases. Permanent river safety signage is in place to advise what the siren sound means, and when heard, to move out of the river channel.”
Water flows on the Puntledge River can change quickly, and it takes only 15 to 30 centimetres of fast flowing water to knock a person off their feet.
