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In the midst of a drought, the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) and the City of Kelowna are urging residents to do their part to conserve water and to help prevent severe drought conditions from taking root.
“We are at a ‘Level 3 Drought.’ The entire south coast and southern Vancouver Island is in a Drought 4, and watersheds around us are under review,” said Anna Warwick Sears, OBWB Executive Director. “We’re appealing to the public to observe the Province of B.C.’s request for 30 per cent reduction in water use.”
Despite the provincial drought status, the City of Kelowna is not yet under any water use restrictions; however, according to Kevin Van Vliet, Utility Services Manager with the City of Kelowna, such restrictions could be on the horizon.
“We always encourage conservation,” added Van Vliet. “We don’t have water restrictions at this time, but we’re working with the province and other irrigation districts to consider water conservation long term.”
Kelowna’s water supply is derived from several irrigation systems, which comprise the Kelowna Joint Water Committee.
Together, the Black Mountain, City of Kelowna, Glenmore-Ellison Improvement, Rutland Waterworks, and the South-East Kelowna Irrigation Districts have devised a drought plan to ensure that Kelowna watersheds can withstand a significant drought.
Considering the City of Kelowna’s water is pulled from Okanagan Lake, our water supply is subsidized by a rather large buffer for a one year drought.
The luxury of a large, freshwater lake aside, Van Vliet reiterated the importance of conserving and protecting our water now, in order to utilize our resources later.
For example, smart irrigation technology and water metres have already been implemented within the City of Kelowna irrigation district, which according to Van Vliet, has helped to drop water use substantially since 2003.
Driving home the importance of conservation, the OBWB reminds residents that the Okanagan Lake only fills 1.5 metres annually, and only considering it has been a normal year. Okanagan Lake may be in our backyard, but we have to remember that the now plentiful water supply is not infinite.
For more information on the different irrigation districts that make up Kelowna’s water supply, visit the Kelowna Joint Water Committee website. The website also provides helpful links, maps, and tips to conserving water.
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