Greater Vernon Water (GVW) has announced that the water supply conditions for the utility are normal heading into the warmer months. This comes after above-average water storage in March and slightly higher than normal levels in GVW reservoirs and Kalamalka Lake since the start of the year. In addition, the snowpack in the Duteau watershed is 109% to 132% above average, depending on location, which is a favourable indicator for water supply.
GVW staff uses the Water Shortage Management Plan (WSMP) to guide water management decisions. Four triggers are monitored to assess water supply and drought conditions, including reservoir levels, current moisture conditions, forecasted weather conditions, and customer demand forecast.
As of April 2, Duteau Reservoir levels are trending slightly below average, but this is due to the later snow melt (freshet), which has not started yet. Kalamalka Lake is above the Provincial Management Target and the ten-year average. According to the provincial forecast, this spring is expected to be cool, with average to high amounts of precipitation. Customer demand is currently low due to the cool weather, but irrigation turn-ons started on April 15, and demand is expected to increase in the coming weeks.
GVW encourages customers to continue to conserve water despite the good water supply conditions, as it is important to maintain sustainable water use practices in the long term.
GVW will continue to monitor the conditions in the coming weeks to assess water storage and supply for 2023. For more information on the WSMP and the Greater Vernon water system, visit www.rdno.ca/gvw.
