Lyonel Doherty, Times-Chronicle

The Town of Oliver is taking a serious look at water conservation strategies to enhance sustainability and maximize its infrastructure lifecycle.

The municipality is updating its Water Conservation Plan, which is a requirement of a recent grant application to fund a sanitary sewer extension on Sawmill Road from Walnut to Oak Place. Council is committing its share of the project to the tune of $375,000.

A report by Steve Underwood from TRUE Consulting says water conservation is critical to the Town in order to meet future water demands. As a result, several strategies have been outlined.

One includes continued public education on the “successful” single-block metering system that began in 2009. 

Underwood said the Town could consider implementing different rates for different users based on quantity.

Another strategy is removing existing high consumption appliances and replacing them with new water-efficient devices, such as low-flush toilets. 

As indoor water use is not excessive, retrofits are expected to result in modest reductions in consumption, Underwood said.

Smart landscaping is another strategy that is highlighted.

Underwood said local schools have used  large quantities of domestic water for irrigation. He added that Lion’s Park and Kinsmen Spray Park are in the same boat. But he pointed out that Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary School installed its own water well for irrigation use in 2013 and no longer uses domestic water for this purpose. He added that Southern Okanagan Secondary School and Oliver Elementary School fields switched to using reclaimed water for their irrigation.

The consultant said the intention is to move Lion’s Park irrigation source to a dormant well (in the park) that is no longer used due to uranium levels that exceed drinking water standards.

Underwood said the Town also intends to install re-circulation equipment in Kinsmen Spray Park so as not to use domestic water.

Utilizing rain barrels is another strategy. These would be permanently installed on drop pipes at single family households, Underwood said, adding the barrels would also serve to reduce stormwater runoff.

Yet another strategy is major use auditing, which can help reduce consumption.