Revised - Untreated wastewater is pouring into the Yukon River in Whitehorse for an undetermined period of time.

Repairs began early Tuesday morning to repair a leaking sanitary force main near the river.

“Despite efforts to empty and repair the main earlier (Tuesday), additional damage has been discovered,” the city said Tuesday afternoon.

“A larger crack has been identified near the original leak, and crews are now exploring additional repair options.”

The Marwell lift station has had to be taken offline, and bypass valves are discharging wastewater into the river.

“To minimize the amount of wastewater entering the river, residents are asked to reduce their water usage as much as possible, including flushing toilets until the repairs are complete,” the city said.

“The city is taking all possible steps to reduce the impact on the area and will also be doing water sampling at the site and downstream to better understand any impacts to the river.”

The public is also asked to minimize recreational use of the river around the Marwell area and downstream until further notice.

“As a reminder, do not drink untreated surface water,” the city advised.

“We thank residents for their patience and understanding.

“We also want to thank City crews who are on site doing everything they can to return the system to full operational capacity.”