Nicole Perry December 6, 2023
City of Kamloops engineering manager Deven Matkowski said we are seeing historically low river levels, though the city is situated, fortunately, with a huge watershed from the Thompson Rivers.
“We’re definitely at a point in the cycle, if it is a cycle, or from impacts of climate change, where the river levels are definitely low,” he said.
Kamloops reached a drought Level 5 rating this summer, which according to the provincial government’s website means “adverse impacts to socio-economic or ecosystem values are almost certain.” Matkowski said that Kamloops’ restrictions are off, though the city has only moved down to Level 4.
In British Columbia, seasonal droughts in recent years have resulted in increasing water stress, worsened by climate change. Projections for rising temperatures in mid-century over B.C. is +1.0 to +3.8 C for the summer season and +1.1 to +3.9 C for the winter season.
“One of the things we’re definitely seeing in our watershed is some of these low levels during the summertime.” Matkowski said. “We’re expecting also to see changes in what the high levels are in the springtime.”
City of Kamloops Utilities Manager Greg Wightman said that Kamloops has one of the highest peaking factors in the country, spiking to high usage in the summer compared to winter.
“What drives that is irrigation, both residential, commercial, and in our playing fields, school district fields, things like that,” he said.
Matkowski said Kamloops has gone from using eight to 10 times more water in the summer than in the winter to only five times more, due in part to society awareness of water usage and wastefulness.
“We have the most number of pump stations and reservoirs,” Wightman said. “All the elements of our distribution system that we’re required makes us the most complex in Canada.”
Potable water for the city extends from Kamloops Centre for Water Quality to as many Kamloops customers as possible, Matkowski said.
A benefit of water conservation is a more efficient system, Matkowski said. “The less we pump, the less we pay for electricity to pump, the less the infrastructure wears out.”
Wightman said, “Having a visual, like we had in Juniper when that fire was burning, the entire city could see that fire.
“If you talk to people in January about trying to conserve water by taking a shorter shower, I don’t know you’re going to get that same response.”
Matkowski said long term water conservation is what’s key.
“This whole drought response [this summer] and seeing how people can manage with their irrigation systems turned completely off, I think, is a good opportunity for re -education and re -awareness,” he said.
He said a form of this could be in education campaigns.The City of Kamloops has tips on its website that will help Kamloops continue to reduce its outdoor water usage.