Health officials are advising people not to use lake water on South Lake in the Township of Minden Hills Ont., following a fuel oil spill.

Lakelands Public Health says furnace oil was released from a private property over the weekend into the lake, which is located just southeast of the village of Minden.

A sheen of fuel remains on the water and is shifting with wind conditions, making it difficult to control, the health unit reports.

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Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) crews are working with the property owner to contain the spill.

Many properties, both permanent and cottages, draw water directly from the lake, prompting the health unit to issue a drinking water advisory.

Residents are told not to drink, cook, bathe, or wash with lake water.

“Boiling the water will not make it safe,” the health unit states.

Officials say to use bottled or alternative water sources for now.

The situation is being monitored by health officials, the township, MECP and other agencies, with the advisory remaining in effect until further notice.

The township also remains in a state of emergency due to flood conditions along the Gull River, which flows through downtown Minden.

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