BC Hydro put out an advisory about upcoming tests of the public waring system on the Puntledge River.
"We are advising the community of our annual public warning system tests that will take place from May 13 to May 15," the advisory says. "Temporary signage advising of the siren tests will be placed along the river system."
Crews will manually test each siren on May 13 and 14. During the tests, the sirens may engage for a few minutes.
The full siren system test will take place on May 15 and includes releasing a pulse of water from Comox Dam to trigger the warning system. BC Hydro staff will also be along the river to monitor the warning system.
"This test also serves as a reminder of potential hazards along the Puntledge River. Public safety is very important to BC Hydro, and it鈥檚 one of the primary reasons we communicate regularly about our operations," the notice says.
Awareness of the potential hazards from the Puntledge River hydroelectric system is through our public warning system. 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.
The Puntledge River is part of a hydroelectric system where river flows may change quickly, whether planned or unplanned. As the weather warms, it is natural for people to want to escape the heat and cool off in the water. About 500 people may be along the Puntledge River system at any given time on a summer day. It takes only 15 to 30 centimetres of fast flowing water to knock a person off their feet.
The Puntledge River hydroelectric system includes the Comox Dam, where the water released travels 3.7 kilometres down to the Puntledge River Diversion Dam. From there, a minimum fish habitat flow is provided down the river with the majority of water directed down a 5-kilometre penstock to the generating station.
