The City of Kelowna is easing water restrictions in the Hall Road area to stage two, allowing residents to irrigate twice a week.
“We have been making every effort possible to free up water availability in the system and the conservation efforts of residents mean that some additional capacity for outdoor watering was available,” water operations manager Andy Weremy said in a news release.
However, people living in Crawford or Southeast Kelowna remain under stage three restrictions.
The city said that water restrictions were brought in to ensure the system has enough water for sanitation and firefighting.
“We are anticipating that as cooler temperatures return, other neighbourhoods may also be able to be downgraded to Stage 2 restrictions,” Weremy said.
Officials also said that the need for watering restrictions in Southeast Kelowna is not because of a lack of water in Okanagan Lake, but a result of leaks and the short-term use of potable water for irrigation in the area.
“As water meters are installed in this area for the first time this year, about 25 per cent of the historic service lines on private property have been found to have significant leaks,” Weremy said.
Officials are also warning residents that reduced demand is necessary to avoid a shift back to stage three or four water restrictions.