Southeast Kelowna and Crawford restricted to one day per week watering

A Stage 3 outdoor watering restriction is now in effect for residential water use in Southeast Kelowna and Crawford areas, effective immediately. Recent rising temperatures and excessive potable domestic water use is currently impacting reservoir supply levels in these areas.

“At this time, the restriction applies to outdoor potable water usage only as we need to alleviate pressure on our potable water supply in this specific area,” said Kevin Van Vliet, Utility Services Manager. “We need to ease demand on the system to ensure that quality water supply is prioritized for drinking, hygiene, and fire protection.”

Properties located in Southeast Kelowna, Crawford, McCulloch East/Gallagher’s Canyon, and Hall Road areas as outlined in this watering restrictions map will be limited to watering one day a week.

Watering restrictions and designated watering times include:

Manual sprinklers may operate between 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. – 12 a.m. on designated day

Automatic sprinklers may operate from 12 a.m. – 6 a.m. on designated day

• Fruit trees and vegetable gardens may be watered Tuesdays & Fridays between 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., as required to maintain plant health
• Residents in these areas are also not permitted to pressure wash houses, driveways or outdoor furniture, fill pools or hot tubs and wash cars using potable water supply at this time
• Reduced demand is necessary to avoid a shift to Stage 4 water restrictions, prohibiting outdoor watering in the area. Property owners in the affected area that have dual access to both potable and non-potable water supply should switch to non-potable water for irrigation needs as soon as possible. Residents seeking assistance to switch over can call 250-469-8520 to help identify local contractors.
• These restrictions do not apply to properties with Farm Status through BC Assessment.

“These next two weeks are typically when we experience peak demand each year and it becomes a compounded issue when many properties in the area are using potable water for irrigation,” said Van Vliet. “Once we get through this peak time, and as properties in the area shift irrigation systems to the non-potable water source, and as water meters are installed identifying leaks on private property that need repairs, and as tiered fees are implemented, future concerns about supply capacity are not expected to be a continuing issue.”

Final measures in the transition to the City water system for former SEKID customers includes installation of water meters, where residents have previously paid a flat fee with no monitoring of consumption. Water metering has been shown to reduce water consumption, allowing residents to monitor their consumption, compare to typical averages, as well as identify potential leaks.

Water restriction stages run from ‘normal’ through to ‘Stage 4’ with increasing water use restrictions. The rest of the City utility is still currently operating under the ‘Stage 1’ water restriction stage. Under ‘Stage 1’ properties with an odd number address can water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and those with an even address number can water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Impacted residents who need assistance with automatic irrigation systems can connect with a WaterSmart representative at 250-469-8520. The water restriction will remain in effect until further notice. For general questions or concerns please call 250-469-8520.

For more information about watering restrictions, visit kelowna.ca/water.