After hearing several complaints from local citizens, Town of Osoyoos council has voted to changed its water restrictions bylaw to three times per week, instead of using the proposed system based on street addresses.
Council announced several weeks ago that it was going to no longer allow residential property owners in the town as well as rural property owners in Irrigation District 8 and 9 to water their lawns every day.
The original proposal was for property owners who live in homes that have an even numbered address to water their lawns on even numbered days of the month.
Barry Romanko, the town’s chief administrative officer, said the town received numerous complaints from rural residents who would have a difficult time programming their water sprinkling systems to properly operate under that set of criteria.
Senior administration said the best solution would be to have property owners with odd numbered addresses water their lawn on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, while those who live in even numbered residences water their lawns on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, said Romanko.
Most sprinkler systems can be much easier programmed using this system, he said.
During Monday’s meeting, council also agreed to change the fine structure contained within the town’s municipal ticket information bylaw.
The minimum fine under the old bylaw was $50 for first-time offenders who are ticketed by bylaw officers for contravening the watering bylaw and that fine will now increase to $100.
The maximum fine will remain at $1,000 for property owners who disobey the bylaw during Stage 5 or emergency situation when the town declares all outdoor watering will be banned.
There were also some minor changes to numerous fines that can be issued by bylaw officers for such things as not having a meter installed, having a prohibited water connection, failing to properly maintain water pipes, failing to repair damage, failing to install flow control devices, interfering with a water hydrant and irrigating property outside of season.
The new water restrictions bylaw will officially become law when council passes third and final reading at its first meeting on May 2.
Back in early April, council voted to implement permanent water restrictions for property owners in the town and rural district beginning this week.
Following a prolonged drought that began last spring and continued for several months, council voted last summer to implement a temporary bylaw that restricted watering of lawns to twice a week and implemented other restrictions on domestic water use.
Council later voted to extend the water restrictions to property owners who lived in Irrigation Districts 8 and 9.
The original plan approved in early April stated that instead of twice a week, property owners would be allowed to water their lawns every second day, based on their home address.
If town Chief Administrative Officer Barry Romanko gives notice that a reduction in water uses in necessary, council will maintain the option vote to implement twice a week watering like they did last summer.
Under this scenario, watering would only be permitted on Saturdays and Tuesdays on even numbered addresses and Sundays and Wednesdays for those living at odd numbered addresses.
If a prolonged drought were to happen again, the CAO and council would have the authority to implement Stage 2 restrictions and allow commercial watering only once a week.
Under the new bylaw, properties equipped with automated time clock sprinkler systems may only sprinkle between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. on the days permitted by the sprinkling regulations in the bylaw.
Properties equipped with only manually controlled sprinkling systems, including those attached to outside taps, may only operate from 6 until 10 a.m. and from 7 p.m. until midnight on the days permitted.
Sprinkling will not be permitted between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. any day at any time of the year.
Only one outside tap may be used at one time for sprinkling and it won’t be permissible to use an open pipe or hose for irrigation purposes.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
