UPDATE Stage four water restrictions for Crawford and southeast Kelowna lifted

UPDATE Sept. 16

Repairs have been completed following a ruptured transmission main and the ‘Stage 4’ watering restriction in place for southeast Kelowna and Crawford areas has now been lifted to ‘Stage 1’, or normal year-round watering restrictions, where irrigation can now occur up to three times per week. All City of Kelowna water utility customers are now on the normal irrigation schedule.

“We appreciate the conservation efforts of residents in this area as we dealt with the issue and allowed the reservoir to fill,” says Patrick Aylard, Project Manager.

Southeast Kelowna is now on the same watering schedule as the rest of the City of Kelowna water utility. Under Stage 1/normal watering restrictions:

Properties with an odd number address may water yards and lawns on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; even-numbered addresses may water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. No properties are to water on Mondays.
Automatic underground irrigation systems may run between 12 a.m. (midnight) and 6 a.m. up to three days per week.
Manual sprinklers can operate between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. OR 7 p.m. and 12 a.m. (midnight) on the assigned day, up to three days per week.

All residents are asked to adhere to designated days and times, and to avoid excessive watering, even on designated days. Assigned day water conservation measures help to reduce peak water demands, using water wisely so that we can continue to supply sufficient water for all needs.

Watering restrictions do not apply to properties with Farm Status through BC Assessment or irrigation water use in the area which is sourced from the non-potable supply.

To request assistance from a Water Smart representative to adjust automatic irrigation systems, or for general inquiries or questions about the watering restrictions in place for your area, call 250-469-8520.

For more information about the updated year-round watering restrictions and the different water providers in Kelowna, visit kelowna.ca/water.

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Sept. 15

Due to a burst pipe, all properties in Crawford and southeast Kelowna (except Hall Road) are now on ‘Stage 4’ water restrictions, which means the use of potable water for outdoor use including lawn and garden watering is prohibited until further notice. Stage 4 restrictions do not apply to the non-potable water system (former SEKID system).

The restrictions are in effect due to a rupture of the transmission main that provides water to southeast Kelowna. The rupture occurred while Emil Anderson Construction was tapping a new connection into the main. All water supply to southeast Kelowna has been coming from storage since late this morning.

“We need residents and business owners in this area to only use water indoors as needed for the time being,” says Patrick Aylard, Senior Project Manager. “Crews are on site working on repairs so that the restrictions can be lifted as soon as possible. Once repairs are complete, the reservoirs need time to refill.”

For residents and businesses in southeast Kelowna, this means that strict water use restrictions are necessary to maintain critical supply. Water may only be used indoors as needed for drinking, cooking and sanitary purposes as well as to ensure the health of livestock.

A ‘Stage 4’ water restriction prohibits the use of supplied water for the following purposes:

Lawn and aesthetic garden watering including automatic sprinkler systems and hand-held watering

Cleaning outdoor surfaces including driveways, decks, patios and artificial turf

Washing vehicles, boats, ATV’s and any other form of automobiles

Filling or refilling pools, garden ponds or any other form of water features

Watering food gardens, fruit trees and shrubs

Irrigation of municipal parks, sports fields and artificial turf

Residents with programmable irrigation systems are asked to adjust their timer or use the rain delay function to ensure irrigation does not take place during this time. An in-depth look at the water restriction stages can be found at kelowna.ca/water along with a live map to confirm if your property is within the area where restrictions are required.

Water restriction stages run from ‘normal’ through to ‘Stage 4’ with increasing water use restrictions.