Landscape and Irrigation Standards for Water Efficiency

2008

$70,000

$25,000

The City of Kelowna Water Utility provides water to approximately 70,000 residential customers and 3,000 businesses. It is the largest of the five water purveyors operating within city limits.  In 1996 the utility embarked on a universal water metering program which, combined with public education and appropriate water rates, helped achieve a 20% reduction in total water use. In 2007, Kelowna City Council endorsed a Water Sustainability Action Plan which called for a minimum 15% reduction in water use by 2012, over and above the reductions already achieved.  A major component of the Water Sustainability Action Plan was the new Landscape and Irrigation Guide to Water Efficiency. Landscape irrigation drives peak demand and is the biggest consumptive use of domestic water in the City of Kelowna. This project was developed in conjunction with the landscape industry and can be used as a model for other communities to undertake similar initiatives. The Guide can be found here:Kelowna_Landscape-Irrigation-Guide-web_brochure.pdf