Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Water
How people are stealing water in Greater Vernon
VERNON - The regional district is cracking down on water thieves. It’s come to the North Okanagan Regional District’s attention a number of people on the Greater Vernon Water system are bypassing water meters. The water utility keeps track of how much water goes into the system, and how much is used by consumers, and...
Armstrong moves to elevated watering restrictions
ARMSTRONG - Armstrong residents are being told to cut back on water use. The city has implemented stage two water restrictions, which means residents can’t use sprinklers or irrigation systems to water lawns, gardens trees or shrubs. Washing driveways, sidewalks, parking lots or exterior building surfaces is also banned, according to a notice on the...
Extreme drought results in fishing bans for Nicola rivers
SALMON RUN AT RISK THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - An extreme drought rating has been issued for the Nicola region, resulting in fishing restrictions and a request for residents to conserve water. Staff from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources say extreme dry conditions and warming water temperatures calls for a fishing suspension on the Nicola...
Mixed views on proposed Shuswap River boating restrictions
VERNON - There’s been plenty of interest in proposed boating regulations on the Shuswap River, though it's still to early to tell which side of the debate the majority lands on. The North Okanagan Regional District has so far received 1,065 electronic surveys, plus 118 paper copies submitted in response to the proposed changes, which...
Water board wants more control over what people do in watersheds
OKANAGAN - In an effort to put a stop to mud-bogging and pit toilets near reservoirs, the local water board is supporting a call for greater control over source watersheds. “The board wants our members to have more control and the province to give more support to water utilities to protect the quality of their...
No fishing in several South Okanagan rivers and streams this summer
PENTICTON – Fans of fishing across the province will be disappointed to learn that as of July 15 they will no longer be permitted to fish many rivers and streams in the South Okanagan this summer due to low flows and warming water temperatures. For the rest of the summer all streams and rivers in...
Heat wave could force water restrictions in Summerland
SUMMERLAND – If the heat wave resumes the Summerland Treatment Plant could be forced to issue measures to reduce water use in the area. Due to increased demands the Summerland Water Treatment Plant has been operating at maximum capacity the last week, according to a media release issued today, June 29. If the demand rises...
Man with warrants flees from police, spends night on Pritchard Bridge
PRITCHARD - It was a long shift for Chase RCMP members who spent their night watching a runaway man with warrants for his arrest stand on a bridge over rushing water in Pritchard. Const. Jonathan Spooner says the man fled from police at a beach yesterday afternoon, June 28. “A Chase officer noted the man...
Mud bogging, hill climbs jeopardize North Okanagan water security
VERNON - Efforts are being stepped up to educate and enforce when it comes to the rules of the road in and around Vernon’s drinking water reservoirs. An increasing number of off-road vehicles in areas like the Aberdeen plateau are causing concerns for water quality, and security, says regional district Water Quality Manager Renee Clark....
Why Vernon has issued far fewer boil water advisories recently
VERNON - Vernon residents have likely been noticing fewer boil water notices, but what they might not be aware of is that their water was switched to a different source many times over the last five years. Greater Vernon Water has changed how it responds to poor water quality events, and that means customers see...
Man stuck with fine for illegal dock work on Okanagan Lake
VERNON - If you’re a waterfront property owner who’s ever built a dock on the lake, a B.C. Supreme Court Judge says you need a permit for that. It’s a rule cottage owner Laurent Desautels didn’t know about in March 2013, when he hired Okanagan Pile Driving Inc. to install piles into Okanagan Lake as...
Low snowpack prompts Greater Vernon water warning
VERNON - Greater Vernon residents are being advised to go easy on the water in light of a lower than normal snowpack this year. Recent snowpack readings at three monitoring stations near the Duteau Creek Watershed suggest the region could be in for low water levels this summer, water sustainability coordinator Jennifer Miles said in...
Filmmaker hopes Okanagan mussel threat documentary will create ‘groundswell of public pressure’
VERNON - There may not be any zebra or quagga mussels in B.C. yet, but the threat is very real, and very urgent, says a Vernon man who spent months interviewing experts and visiting infested lakes and rivers in the U.S. All it would take is one contaminated boat getting across the border to destroy...
Low snowpack could mean a dry Okanagan summer
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Current snowpack levels suggest the Okanagan could be in for a dry year, while the South Thompson should fair better. According to Tobi Gardner with the River Forecast Centre, snowpack is at 76 per cent of normal in the Okanagan — the lowest in five years. “What that translates to is a lower...
Citizens call for drastic changes to Greater Vernon Water
VERNON - A citizens group is calling on local politicians to overhaul plans for Greater Vernon’s water supply, including the cost to residents. Citizens for Changes to the Master Water Plan made their case to Vernon City Council Monday afternoon, asking for support in taking a “fresh new look” at the plan. Spokesperson Eric Jackson...
Kal Lake water shut off due to increased turbidity, milfoil removal
VERNON - The Kalamalka Lake water supply has been shut off due to increased turbidity and milfoil removal. The Greater Vernon Water Utility turned the water off Monday, Feb. 16. Until it’s back on, water will be supplied through the Duteau Creek Water Treatment Plant to avoid issuing a boil water advisory. “The decision to...
Aging waterworks the target of proposed rate increase
KELOWNA - About half of Kelowna can expect a minor water rate increase sometime soon if Kelowna city council agrees to a recommendation by staff. John Vos, the city’s director of corporate business ventures, is recommending a two percent increase for those homes and businesses serviced by the city water utility. The rest of Kelowna...
Here’s the repair bill for Vernon’s broken water mains in 2014
VERNON - Fixing aging water mains in the City of Vernon last year didn’t come cheap. The Greater Vernon Water Utility, which operates the system, was billed approximately $370,000 by the city in 2014. That was for a total of 28 water main break repairs, or about $13,214 per break. That’s in addition to the...
Why this Okanagan woman took not one, but 12 polar bear dips
OKANAGAN - If you thought this week’s Polar Bear Swim participants were nuts, you won’t believe what this Okanagan mom has been doing for the past three months. Along with her sister and 14-year-old daughter, Kelowna resident Mix Hart has been taking a dip in Okanagan Lake once a week for the past 12 weeks....
Killiney Beach water interruption notice
KILLINEY BEACH - Some customers of the Killiney Beach Water System should plan to be without water service on Monday morning. Water will be shut off for approximately 75 homes below Westside Road while the Regional District repairs a leak in a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) at Westside Road and Kildare Way. The work is...
The high cost of waiting to replace Vernon’s aging water system
VERNON - Costs of aging water pipes are beginning to pile up in the City of Vernon with 86 water main breaks in just the last three years—four of them this month. And the costs are not just in dollars and cents. Breaks on Nov. 25 left over 100 residents without water. Earlier in the year,...
Local rep says Greater Vernon Water referendum failed for all the wrong reasons
'I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK THIS WAS A POLITICAL POSITION TO TAKE WITH THE ELECTION COMING UP' VERNON - A local politician is speaking out against the results of the failed Greater Vernon Water referendum. Electoral Area C director Mike Macnabb believes it failed for all the wrong reasons. “I think the $70 million was...
ELECTION 2014: Greater Vernon Water referendum crushed
VERNON - The Greater Vernon Water referendum failed to garner support from voters. Asked if they supported borrowing up to $70 million to bring the water system up to provincial safety standards, 7,918 residents (64 per cent) voted no, and 3,999 (34 per cent) voted yes. Endorsing the referendum would have meant the average domestic...
Water board has money to give away
KELOWNA – There is another $300,000 up for grabs for those who need money to fund a project to save water or improve its quality in the Okanagan in 2015. The Okanagan Basin Water Board is back with its Water Conservation and Quality Improvement grant program. It’s the ninth year for the program. The cash...