Water Smart Salmo

Village of Salmo

WaterSmart Salmo

With a strong commitment to water conservation, the Village of Salmo is an active WaterSmart community for the fifth year in a row.

Watering Regulations

Sprinkling regulations are in place during the summer months requiring residents to water on odd or even days of the week depending on their odd or even civic address numbers, with everyone being allowed to water on Sunday’s. Hand watering is permitted at any time, while sprinkling is restricted to the hours of 6:00 am to 10:00 am and 6 pm to 10 pm for a maximum of fours hours per day. “Sprinkler Watering” includes all overhead and spray type systems and micro and drip irrigation type systems.

For 2022, water conservation regulations per Bylaw #259, 1982 are in effect from July 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022, but may be extended or start earlier depending on drought conditions. BC Drought Information Portal.

Salmo does not have water supply issues. Why should water be conserved?

Many communities across British Columbia are facing water shortages due to climate change. Part of being water smart is building resiliency against changing environmental conditions within our communities. Conserving water is easy and makes good sense from an economic, social, and environmental standpoint. Salmo sits atop pristine groundwater sources which must be respected and protected to ensure sustainability. Environmentally, these aquifers are sensitive to surface contamination and potential draw-down. Economically, the costs associated with operations, maintenance, capital upgrades, and pumping can be reduced though means of water conservation.

Salmo residents each use an average of 894 liters per day, 400 liters above the provincial average. Where is this water being used?

It is estimated that during peak demand most water use happens outdoors, as residents irrigate lawns and gardens. Salmo Village uses 3.5 times more water in the summer than in winter. Indoors, most of the water is used for flushing toilets, washing, and cleaning.

Over 5 years Salmo has reduced gross water demand by approximately 0.3 percent. What can residents do to save more water?

Indoors:

Install low-flow showerheads (limited quantity available for free from the Village office). They deliver 6 liters of water per minute while conventional showerheads deliver 20-28 liters per minute.
Toilets can account for 30% of indoor water use, either install a low-flow or dual flush toilet to save water. Alternatively, place a plastic pop bottle filled with water or sand and (capped) in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.

Outdoors:

Plant native or drought tolerant species in your landscape. Salmo’s WaterSmart Ambassador will be hosting a xeriscaping workshop on June 8th at the village office (email for details).
If you have a lawn, water it infrequently. This promotes deep roots and heartier drought tolerance. On average, one inch or less is needed to keep lawns happy throughout the summer.
Use best practices for irrigation. Water only in the morning or early evening. Avoid over spray when sprinkling and use a hose timer to keep track of watering times.

The graph shows that from 2009 to 2015 the Village of Salmo has experienced a 0.3% decrease in gross

community water demand.

The graph also shows how water use in Salmo increases in spring and summer. This is the period known as “peak demand,” when a community’s water use is at its highest.
Lawn watering is the main contributor to peak demand. By reducing peak demand,we reduce our

impact on water supply, distribution and treatment infrastructure and on the environment.

From 2009 to 2015, Water Smart communities have reduced gross annual demand by an average of 11%.

What have we done so far?

Improvements to data collection and analysis hardware and procedures – a necessary foundation for future water demand reduction action.
Water Loss Management training (finding and fixing leaks within the water distribution system) for public work staff.

What are the best opportunities for improved water efficiency?

Public water use efficiency education targeting reductions in outdoor (irrigation) demand.
Implementation of water loss management best practices specifically including both night flow analysis and pressure management in the distribution system.
Continued implementation of Commercial/Industrial water metering

Where Your Drinking Water Comes From

The Village of Salmo gets its drinking water from two ground water wells, which provide sufficient water supply for the Village’s current needs. Water use in Salmo increases dramatically in the summer-but this doesn’t mean we should only reduce outdoor water use. Rather, when we reduce our indoor water use, we reduce Salmo’s average daily demand.

Water Smart Salmo

Village of Salmo