Agricultural water supply
The agriculture community, and subsequent irrigation practices, have played a significant role in the development of Utility services and the City is committed to supporting a sustainable future for this industry.
Agricultural irrigation is predominantly sourced by non-potable water supply in Southeast Kelowna and by potable water throughout the remainder of the Kelowna utility.
To receive regular updates regarding water supply conditions, water quality updates, irrigation turn-on and turn-off dates, and general information related to irrigation services, please enroll in the e-subscribe system.
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Up to date information on Water Supply, Rates, and Water Quality
The irrigation allotment is equal to 2,772 m3 per acre of irrigated area.
A statement of allotment can be found on your utility bill or by logging into your utility billing account.
At the end of each irrigation season, metered consumption is compared to designated allotment for each property. If the consumption in the current year does not exceed the property allotment, no additional charge are applied. If the consumption exceeds the allotment, consumption over the allotment is subject to the tiered rates.
| Tier A | 0-19.99% | $0.34/m3 |
| Tier B | 20-49.99% | $0.68/m3 |
| Tier C | Over 50% | $1.12/m3 |
For those properties that have had a cellular endpoint upgraded with the water meter, up to date water consumption is available through enrollment in a free on-line EyeOnWater account.
We read the irrigation meters several times throughout the season, with consumption information available on bi-monthly utility bills, or by logging on to the City’s online billing portal. For further information on billing and restrictions you can also refer to the City’s Water Regulation Bylaw No.10480.
| Stage | Normal | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage 4 |
| Crop Irrigation | Max water use permitted as per water allotment for season | 10% reduction of total annual allotment | 20% reduction of total annual allotment | 35% reduction of total annual allotment | Outdoor water use prohibited except for livestock & minimal maintenance of perennial fruit trees |
To qualify for agricultural water rates, properties must be classified as having farm or developing farm status as defined by the BC Assessment Act. Properties with farm status will be billed $142.92/per acre irrigation for the 2024 calendar year with a minimum charge of $142.92 for properties smaller than 1 acre.
Farm status must be renewed every year to maintain your irrigation water rates.
- Potable - is water that meets Canadian drinking water guidelines.
- Non-Potable - is water that meets crop irrigation and livestock provincial guidelines, however does not meet Canadian drinking water guidelines and should not be used by humans for drinking.
The agricultural irrigation water turn-ons for 2025 is tentatively scheduled for mid April, weather dependent. This schedule applies to all seasonal City controlled irrigation services within the City of Kelowna water utility. Private on-site services are the responsibility of the property owner. Roadside signs will be set-up throughout the Southeast Kelowna area in advance to advise of the schedule. With over 700 services to attend, we appreciate your patience as work is done as efficiently as possible. If you would like a specific turn on date (weather permitting), please refer to the early turn-on request instructions.
Note that the agricultural turn-on schedule now applies to those properties on Shanks Road south of 4351 Shanks.
We will be marking irrigation services with flags as we turn them on.
- Green flag – indicates water system is active with no indications of issues
- Red flag – indicates that there is an issue and water service has been turned off until addressed
- Blue flag - indicates the system is winterized and not in service
The agricultural irrigation water turn-offs will be completed between October 15 – 25. This schedule applies to all seasonal City controlled irrigation services within the City of Kelowna water utility. Private on-site services are the responsibility of the property owner. Roadside signs will be set-up throughout the Southeast Kelowna area in advance to advise of the schedule. With over 700 services to attend, we appreciate your patience as work is done as efficiently as possible. If you would like a specific turn off date (weather permitting), please refer to the late turn-off request instructions.
Note that the agricultural turn-off schedule now applies to those properties on Shanks Road south of 4351 Shanks.
- Blue flag – indicates that the water service is winterized and has been turned off
- Yellow flag – indicates that there is an issue and the water service has been left on until addressed
If you would like to request an early or late irrigation water turn-on/off to be scheduled, weather permitting, please call the Utility office at 250-469-8600 from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by submitting a service request. If approved, a $50 fee will be applied to your account to accommodate the request.
If there is a significant risk of freezing temperatures during the early or late turn-on period, the request will be denied. The owner will responsible for all water system damages attributed to temperature.
Both new and longtime residents with metered irrigation connections have an obligation to maintain their private irrigation systems. You’re responsible for maintaining and renewing all works from your isolation valve.
Water service will not be turned on to any property with a leaky or defective isolation valve. If the City is called to shut down a service for any reason, the service will not be turned back on until the isolation valve is fully functional. A blowout port next to the isolation valve also allows the owner to shut down and winterize their system in the fall without damage to City infrastructure, and without needing the City to shut down the main service to the property.
During irrigation turn-offs the City will turn-off the irrigation supply and close the isolation valve. The homeowners are responsible for ensuring the isolation valve is in the open position once their irrigation system has been winterized. If the valve is left closed damage may occur and this will result in the water service not being turned on in the spring until the homeowner has replaced the valve.
Irrigation Flow Dashboard
SEK irrigation system flows fluctuates based on the amount of water used for irrigation at any given time. This can impact water pressure, water quality, and water supply that needs to be released from upland reservoirs. A dashboard has been posted to provide total daily flow released through the Hydraulic Creek intake and comparison to two previous years. The goal is to ensure that water demand is consistently met while maintaining adequate pressure throughout the system.
The Utility has completed the water metering upgrade project in SEK that involved replacing all meters and adding new cellular endpoints to transmit water data. The new meters use ultrasonic technology to measure water flow and do not have any moving parts. Those properties having received a new meter and endpoint will be notified by means of a letter informing of the upgrade and potential enrollment in Eye-on-Water for water use monitoring and leak detection.
All water meters will be supplied by the City and remain property of the City. The property owner is responsible to provide adequate protection from freezing, heat and other conditions that may cause damage.
The former SEKID water system is now a dedicated non-potable water system, with the intent of only suppling properties with outdoor irrigation and not for household use. Due to the change in use, the water quality guidelines are drastically different from those of Drinking Water Guidelines. There are multiple guiding documents that outline water quality for crop irrigation and livestock water systems. We have amalgamated these documents into one table, providing a general guide to the non-potable water quality parameters.
Due to reduced water demand, the addition of chlorine has been turned off in the system as of October 14, 2024. Chlorination will resume in spring when irrigation system have been turned on again.
Efficient water use can help save water and reduce irrigation costs, the province has created a an irrigation management guide to help provide the best irrigation management practices available for todays environment.
Water is not an unlimited resource and living in the Okanagan we can see flooding in the spring and drought conditions in the summer within the same year. Coupled with climate change, water availability is only going to decrease in the Okanagan in the future. This is why efficient water use is integral to the continued success of our agricultural sector in Kelowna.
Soil moisture sensors can help by guiding efficient irrigation decisions based on the moisture content in a crops soil. Measuring soil moisture can help save water but can also help crop yields, reduce fertilizer dependency and improve crop quality. There are a variety of soil moisture sensors on the market some of the common types are Tensiometers, Granular Matrix Sensors, Time Domain Reflectometry, Frequency Domain Reflectometry and VH400 Soil Moisture Sensor. A simple review of the options can be found in the journal article Application of Soil Moisture Sensors in Agriculture: A Review.
Irrigation controllers are another example of technical equipment that can aid in optimizing water usage and crop health. Controllers installed on irrigation equipment can help provide more consistent irrigation to all areas on your property and help conserve water ensuring your allotment lasts the whole season. A basic option is a battery operated inline controller that has a digital timer which can be set to open and close a solenoid allowing for timed irrigation at the optimal timing during the day.
To help optimize your water usage please see the Province's Irrigation System Assessment Guide.
There are a variety of programs and initiatives available to support the agricultural industry through provincial government grants such as the agriculture and seafood programs.
We’re lowering the water level at Turtle Lake while safety issues are addressed on the lake’s dams. A recent dam safety analysis has raised concerns about the dams’ structural integrity, and this step is being taken to meet regulatory requirements and ensure the safety of lake users.
Water will be gradually released from the dam over the coming months until the lake reaches the desired level. No negative, downstream effects are expected as a result of water being released from the lake.
We are assessing our options for the Turtle Lake dams and a decision will be made in the near future on the viability of the reservoir and what improvements are required.
Kelowna residents and visitors can continue accessing Turtle Lake for fishing, paddling and other recreational activities. There are many other lakes in the immediate area that are also suitable for these activities, including Idabel Lake and McCulloch Lake.
