Water

Village of Salmo

ANNUAL DRINKING WATER REPORTS – VILLAGE OF SALMO

2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

2024 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

2023 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

2022 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

2025 Leak Detection Completed

Salmo Water System

Salmo’s water system is considered to be of excellent quality. Salmo complies with or exceeds regulations from Interior Health on water quality.

Primary Water Source

Salmo’s water supply is fed from Aquifer #496. There are two pumping stations located in Salmo:

-Sayward Avenue Wellhouse

-Glendale Avenue Wellhouse

Water Reservoir

Salmo’s water reservoir is located on Selkirk Mountain on the west side of town. The reservoirs capacity is 100,000 US gallons.

Water Infrastructure

Salmo maintains and replaces existing water infrastructure on an on-going basis. As well, the town completes all emergency repairs and installation of new services.

Distribution System

Salmo’s distribution system consists of a network on gravity mains, storage reservoir, 21.81 kms of water pipes, 35 hydrants and 10 standpipes. The Village has a population of 1140 people with over 500 connections.

WaterSmart Salmo

With a strong commitment to water conservation, the Village of Salmo is an active WaterSmart community.

Watering Regulations

Sprinkling regulations are in place during the summer months requiring residents to restrict the times of “sprinkler watering”. Hand watering is permitted at any time, while sprinkling is restricted to the hours of 6:00 am to 9:00 am and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. “Sprinkler Watering” includes all overhead and spray type systems and micro and drip irrigation type systems.

For 2025, water conservation regulations per Bylaw #259, 1982 are in effect from July 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025, 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.