(Image Credit: CFJC News)

By Sydney Chisholm

water restrictions

Drought response plan goes to council, possible changes to watering schedule

Mar 26, 2024 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS– City staff presented a drought response plan to council back in February. After a few minor amendments, that plan is going back to council on April 9, and if approved will go into effect the next day.

“So all the possibility of a severe drought year really on the heels of what we had last year. So we haven’t seen any improvement from last summer,” said City of Kamloops, Utility Services Manager, Greg Wightman.

“And unfortunately, that’s going to lead to a bunch of actions that are going to be taken by the city here.”

The new water use restrictions plan moves away from the even and odd day watering schedule, to three days a week, based on your address.

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“So three address groups across the city and three days a week, under our normal circumstances and then down to one day a week as you get to the next stage,” Whiteman said.

“In the extreme stage, there’ll be no watering of lawns at all this year, not even by hand.”

While Kamloops is still considered to be in a moderate drought, according to Environment Canada meteorologist, Brian Proctor, things could be looking up.

“March has been a changeable month is probably the best way to look at it. We’ve seen some fluctuations in systems as they come across the province,” said Proctor.

“The one benefit of the weather we’ve been seeing in March is the area has taken a little bit more precipitation. In general terms is not huge amounts, but it’s a little bit and it’s helped to alleviate some of the drought concerns.”

Proctor expects more normal conditions for the region but says all of the province is facing a moisture deficit so normal conditions may not be enough to pull us out of the drought.

“In general terms, conditions are improving slowly, but we’re still moving into a spring-fall or spring come, it should say, with low, low, really fairly low snow packs across much of the province, maybe a little bit higher across portions of southern interior,” said Proctor.

“But in general, it’s not a really heavy snowpack kind of event out there at this point in time. So it’s still going to have some lingering drought conditions across much of the province.”

In order to keep Kamloops residents informed of where the city is in stages of drought and what that means for water use, Whiteman says new signs will be displayed throughout the city that will be very similar to the fire hazard signs.

“So it’ll have the drought levels on that with a little arrow that will slide as the drought levels worsen throughout the year,” he said.

“Something actually we saw Salmon Arm do and they found it very effective. So that’ll be out around Kamloops.”