The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) is urging all Greater Vernon Water customers to reduce water use as reservoir levels are beginning to decline, which is likely to trigger Stage 3 Water Restrictions.
Below-average precipitation this past fall and winter, combined with reduced snowpack in the Duteau Creek watershed, has led to lower-than-normal reservoir levels much earlier in the season. With limited rainfall expected to significantly replenish the supply, Greater Vernon Water is already drawing on storage earlier than typical for this time of year.
Stage 2 water restrictions were implemented on May 7, which require a mandatory 20% reduction in water use for agricultural users, along with outdoor watering limitations for residential and commercial customers. If current trends continue, the Greater Vernon Water service area is expected to move to Stage 3 restrictions as early as next week. Stage 3 would introduce further limits on outdoor irrigation across all user groups.
The RDNO is asking all water users to:
- reduce watering to two days per week
- reduce irrigation schedules and avoid overwatering,
- water during cooler hours (late evening to early morning),
- fix leaks promptly, and
- only use the water that is necessary.
High water users, including agricultural operations, are encouraged to actively manage irrigation systems, monitor flow rates, and reduce use by 20%. Staff will continue to closely monitor water supply conditions and provide updates as needed.
Water restrictions are critical to ensure reliable water supplies for our community throughout the dry summer, to protect fish habitat, and maintain adequate resources for wildfire response. The success of these restrictions relies on community cooperation and compliance. Working together now while temperatures are lower will help us safeguard water for essential needs in the future when summer temperatures increase.
Residents and customers are encouraged to stay informed and subscribe to water notifications at rdno.ca/subscribe. Current water supply updates and restriction details are available at:
www.rdno.ca/gvw/restrictions.
The following graphs show the low storage levels of Duteau Creek Storage and Kalamalka Lake. For a more detailed overview of how Stage Restrictions are determined, see the most up-to-date GVW Water Supply Update at www.rdno.ca/gvw.
For Media Inquiries:
Stacey Raftus, Communications Officer
communications@rdno.ca