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By Victor Kaisar

Water Restrictions

Impacts yet to be fully felt as Kamloops gears up for second summer with new year-round water restrictions

Jun 16, 2025 | 6:00 AM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops continues to monitor the province’s drought level classifications as it prepares to navigate the second summer with new year-round water restrictions.

Utility and Environmental Services Manager Greg Wightman says the impacts of the new water restrictions — which replaced the previous odd-even model used in many other communities — have yet to be fully tested.

As part of the plan, the City of Kamloops will move into a heightened state of restrictions if the South Thompson River reaches drought level 4. It will move into a severe state of restrictions at drought level 5.

“Last year, despite all of the predictions that we were having of a bad drought season, we actually peaked at drought level 3 for the time of Aug. 15 to the 29, meaning we never got out of our normal stage,” Wightman said. “To fully evaluate the effectiveness of this plan was a bit challenging.”

The new restrictions were born out of the drastic measures the City had to implement on the fly in 2023 after Kamloops reached drought level 5 for the very first time.

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“It was intended to reduce overall water use to ensure continued provision of potable water for critical uses and to maintain an adequate supply for emergencies like fire suppression and to protect critical environmental flows,” Wightman added.

“The plan has received national interest as one of the most progressive in the country. I know it was a bit of a challenging thing to adopt but it’s certainly has gained some interest from our peers across the nation.”

Wightman also told a Kamloops committee meeting that the province is looking to change its current drought level classifications to more of an impact-based system instead of the current conditions-based system.

“They’re not just going to look at water levels and weather. They’re going to look at what the actual impact of those are and that may change some of the drought classifications,” Wightman said. “It’s not going to change the numbering thankfully, it’s still going to be drought level zero to five, but I think the additional stats they’re considering will help ensure that when we do have drastic drought predictions, it’s because there’s an impact that we need to respond.”

Both the North and South Thompson river basins are currently at drought level 1, following a spell of above normal temperatures that blanketed much of southern B.C. earlier this week.

“The North and South Thompson contribute about 27 per cent of the flows to the Fraser River at Hope,” Wightman added. “So any impact we’re are able to have in keeping water in that river is not only going to help the local water courses but right down the Fraser River.”