The City of Cranbrook is encouraging residents to reduce water use and blow out irrigation systems as water levels in the Phillips Reservoir decrease.
Elevation had dropped to minus 72 inches from full pool and the creeks are not replenishing the reservoir.
Consumption has also been too high.
Stage 3 restrictions are now in place which limits out door watering to once a week.
Before Stage 3 was put in place, nighttime flows on the latest waterless Wednesday were an average of 883 imperial gallons per minute.
The next day when outdoor watering was allowed, flows jumped to 1,765 imperial gallons per minute.
Deputy public works director Jason Perrault said the city has been blowing out their irrigation systems and residents should as well.
“Public works have been actively blowing out city irrigation systems since early September and recommend that now is a good time to have residents and businesses blow out their irrigation systems,” he said.
“We are effectively lowering our drinking water reservoir to water grass that is or is near dormancy for the winter.”
He said crews will be doing what they can to improve water levels for next year.
“Public works will continue to monitor reservoir levels, and work to increase the water level over the winter to capture as much water as we can, while maintaining creek levels downstream so we are in a better scenario for 2026,” he added.
Cranbrook’s current watering restrictions can be found here.
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