Reclaimed water will be released into Okanagan Lake

Due to recent weather conditions, the water level at the MacKay Reservoir is nearing capacity, which means the water must be released into Okanagan Lake. Usually the water is used to irrigate parks and golf courses throughout Vernon, which is a pretty uncommon practice. The water being released is treated, and is really nothing out of the ordinary in comparison to other communities.

"This is a common practice to release into the lake," says Mayor Victor Cumming. "The other major cities in the Okanagan Valley do it every day, so this is not an unusual event."

Vernon's water reclamation is quite unique, only a handful of communities across Canada have the same process. The reclaimed water is used to irrigate parks across the city, which is a rare operation. The water is being released into the lake so that the summer irrigation system can continue on as planned.