For Kayty Thiel, even small household tasks now come with a reminder — her water is not running.

Her family is one of many living in Uptown, an area in the community of 2,700 in southeastern B.C. that has been without water since earlier this week.

The District of Elkford sent crews out to a water system issue on Wednesday and discovered that a pump that provides water to around 500 to 600 properties had failed.

In an update on Thursday, it said pump repairs could take approximately four to five days. The municipality is looking at a new replacement pump, but that would take a minimum of four to 12 weeks, making repairs the most efficient solution.

“As soon as it failed, we realized we’re going to have a very, very significant water loss event and it turned out that we did, we effectively lost our entire reservoir overnight,” said Jeff McConnell, Elkford’s chief administrative officer.

That means some residents will be without water for even longer.

“I just think we use water all the time and I think in regular households you’re just so used to just being able to use water when you need it,” said Thiel.

She said the family first noticed the problem late Tuesday night when a washing machine stopped then the taps stopped working.

The disruption has changed the rhythm of daily life. Showers have meant trips to the homes of relatives. Flushing toilets means using stored or collected water. Cooking and cleaning take more planning.

At public water-access points, residents are filling containers to get through the day. Some water is for drinking. Some is non-potable, for things like flushing toilets.

Pump sent for repairs

The District of Elkford says the pump system has been sent to a contractor in Calgary to be repaired.

“These pumps are very significantly large,” said McConnell.

“We can’t just go out and buy another pump and put it into the system.”

McConnell said even after it is returned and installed, water service will not return to normal immediately.

The district said the system has to recharge, then be flushed and tested before the boil water advisory can be lifted.

“We will ensure that we go through all the testing and all the proper lab testing before we are able to lift the boil water order.”

Community rallies to help affected residents

While crews work on the repair, some residents and businesses outside the affected area are stepping up to help.

At a local car wash, Tessa Aneca said they had water available, so they started filling bottles for people who needed them.

“You help those that are in need. It’s not even a thought. You just try to step in and do what you can, where you can,” Aneca said.

She said they filled more than 300 bottles, with waves of people arriving after work.

“I feel sad for the people of Uptown, but I’m happy that I can help out where I can. Just taking care of our community, right? That’s the most important.”

Meanwhile, Thiel said the disruption has been inconvenient, but it has also shown how quickly people in Elkford are willing to help.

“My sister made us dinner last night, so that was really nice to not have to worry about trying to cook in the kitchen after work and not have to worry about cleaning it up.”

The district will update residents on the repairs and next steps on its website. No further update is expected until Monday.