Around 11:30 p.m. on July 23, the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) Boston Bar water system was vandalized.
The system is located within the evacuation order area of the Brunswick Complex Wildfire, says the FVRD.
The water system had been shut off due to needing to protect the infrastructure in the area of the wildfires.
The FVRD says they communicated to the community that the water would be turned off after several other water notices had been issued, including a stage four water conservation measure.
The FVRD was doing this to help prioritize water access to the BC Wildfire Service.
A high-flow alarm notified the FVRD that a valve riser was opened to the water system, returning water to the shut-off system, say the FVRD.
Due to the incorrect way that the valve was turned on, it could have led to a failure in the water system.
Staff caught the alarm and were able to get on-site to turn the water service back off at about 1:30 a.m.
While the FVRD were able to turn the system back off, the damage can not be assessed while the evacuation order is in effect.
The FVRD states that the potential repair costs for the water system could be substantial.
The Hope RCMP are investigating the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police and quote file #2026-31913.