On December 15, 2025, the Town of Outlook, Saskatchewan, declared a local state of emergency and issued a mandatory "do not use" water advisory following criminal tampering at its main treated water reservoir. 

 On the morning of Monday, December 15, 2025, town staff discovered that locks had been pried open and a hatch to the ground-level reservoir was left exposed.

 Approximately 3,000 residents in Outlook and parts of the Rural Municipality (RM) of Rudy were affected by the immediate shutdown of the water distribution system.

The RCMP is investigating the incident. While there is no direct evidence that the water was contaminated, authorities must assume a compromise and follow strict safety protocols. 

Residents are strictly warned not to consume, cook, bathe, or clean with tap water.

The Saskatchewan Water Security Agency (WSA) warns that boiling, filtering, or adding chlorine will not make the water safe.

As of December 17, the system was repressurized enough to allow residents to flush toilets, but the water remains unsafe for all other purposes. 

The local state of emergency is expected to remain in effect until at least Friday, December 19, 2025. Full potable water service is not anticipated to return until next week, pending successful laboratory testing.

Free Bottled Water: Free 4-litre jugs are being distributed at the Jim Kook Recreation Complex (skating rink). There is typically a limit of one to two jugs per household.

FRASER VALLEY EMERGES FROM ATMOSPHERIC RIVER

As of December 18, 2025, the flooding situation in the Fraser Valley is improving as floodwaters recede.

Abbotsford: All remaining evacuation orders were lifted on Wednesday, December 17.

• 11 properties previously under order were downgraded to an evacuation alert.
• Evacuation alerts for 474 properties on the Sumas Prairie have been lifted entirely.
• Rapid damage assessments are complete; 341 homes were cleared for entry ("green"), while 28 have limited access ("yellow").

Chilliwack: A flood warning remains in effect for the Chilliwack River. Some local areas are still under evacuation alerts, including Electoral Area E

Hope: Some evacuation orders remain for properties on Jackson Avenue and Marble Hill Road. 

Receding Waters: Overflow from the Nooksack River in Washington has stopped crossing the border into the Sumas Prairie. The Sumas River has been downgraded from a flood warning to a high streamflow advisory.

Environment Canada and the River Forecast Centre continue to monitor a "dynamic" situation, as saturated ground and full rivers mean further rainfall could trigger new flooding. 

Transportation and Infrastructure

Highway 1: The highway through the Fraser Valley has reopened in both directions, though drivers should expect slower speeds and potential short-notice closures.

Highway 3: Remains closed between Hope and Manning Park due to significant landslide damage and high water.

Travel Advisories: Check DriveBC for real-time updates on Highway 5  (Coquihalla) and the Fraser Canyon, which are still under travel advisories.

Abbotsford Airport (YXX) : Remains operational, though travelers are advised to check local traffic before departing. 

Editor's Note: This article was compiled using Artificial Intelligence tools and subsequently reviewed by the WaterToday.ca team.