Kelowna has shifted to Stage 2 water restrictions for Crawford

Photo: Castanet/file

The City of Kelowna has relaxed water restrictions for customers in the Crawford area.

The city announced Wednesday it has now shifted from Stage 3 restrictions to Stage 2.

This means those affected customers are now able to irrigate twice a week.

While restrictions have been eased for those in Crawford, a majority of Southeast Kelowna remains on Stage 3, meaning once-a-week irrigation.

Stage 3 restrictions, implemented July 17, came as a surprise to many in the area, who demanded answers, claiming design flaws in the new system.

The city responded, saying the restrictions were "regrettable, but unavoidable."

“We appreciate the patience of area residents making adjustments to watering schedules as we work through this annual peak consumption time,” said Andy Weremy, water operations manager. “The issues that led to the need for restrictions are transitional in nature and the City continues to work on system improvements to help meet customer needs.”

The city says those properties now under Stage 2 restrictions will have been notified by letter.

“The Stage 2 watering restriction is expected to remain in effect until further notice,” said Weremy.

“We ask residents to adhere to designated days and times, and to avoid excessive watering, even on those days, to reduce overall demand and avoid a shift back to Stage 3 or Stage 4.”