Kamloops Water Restrictions: Watering Times

What should you verify before watering in Kamloops?

1Open the live City water-use page and confirm the current drought level.
2Use the last two street-address digits to identify the property's watering group.
3Match each plant type and irrigation method to the current days and hours.
4Repair leaks and runoff, then retain the controller and exemption records.

What does the current Kamloops drought notice change?

Start with the City's live water-use page rather than a saved timer or a neighbour's schedule. The published plan follows drought levels and applies to customers connected to the City's potable-water system. A property using another provider needs that provider's current rules. Save the date checked, the property water source, and the stage shown before changing irrigation.

The City's July 17, 2026 notice says Drought Level 4 became effective July 20 for customers on the City potable-water system. The live page remains the operating source because the City can change the level after conditions improve or worsen. Recheck it after a notice, major weather change, or contractor visit that changes the system or plant layout.

Confirm the property is connected to the City potable-water system.
Record the live stage and date before acting.
Keep a saved controller schedule separate from the source of truth.

What does Drought Level 4 allow for lawns and plants?

The City page currently describes Drought Level 4 as a heightened response. Under that level, lawn sprinkler or hand watering is limited to one day per week, while sprinkler watering for trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, and food-producing plants is also limited to one day per week. Drip irrigation for those plant groups is allowed three days per week under the published plan.

The same page prohibits irrigation between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and identifies a preferred overnight window for automated irrigation. New lawns, trees, and shrubs need the City's water-use exemption permit for additional watering. Do not treat a new-planting request, a pressure-washer rule, or a drip system as a blanket exemption from every current condition.

Separate lawn sprinkler, hand watering, and drip zones.
Check the permitted day and the 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. prohibition.
Confirm a current exemption before adding establishment runtime.

How do address groups and outlet types change the schedule?

For Drought Level 4, the City groups street addresses ending in 00 to 30, 31 to 60, and 61 to 99. The current notice assigns Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday respectively for one-day-per-week watering. A complex or strata uses the street address that determines the complex schedule, not an internal unit number. Verify the current grouping before programming shared equipment.

Outlet type matters as much as the address. The City says water visible in the air is sprinkler use, even when a head sits in a garden bed, while true drip irrigation follows the plant-zone rule. Hand watering has separate treatment for lawns and for trees or plants. Ask an irrigation contractor to identify the actual outlet and water pattern rather than relying on a controller label.

Use the last two street-address digits and the live City table.
Map unit, strata, and common-area controls separately.
Inspect whether a supposed drip zone produces spray or runoff.

What should be checked before a controller is reprogrammed?

Before a controller is reprogrammed, list each zone, its plant group, outlet type, start time, run cycle, and current water source. Look for broken heads, overspray, pooling, leaks, and runoff first. A longer cycle can worsen waste or violate a restriction when the actual problem is coverage, pressure, a stuck valve, or a damaged line.

Ask the contractor to put the live stage, address group, method, repairs, exemption assumptions, and next review date on the handoff. Keep that record with the controller settings and irrigation watering checklist. If the scope includes new planting, confirm the permit route before installation rather than assuming the contractor can authorize extra watering.

Photograph controller settings and the water-use page reviewed.
Record leaks, repairs, overspray, runoff, and unresolved defects.
Set a calendar reminder to recheck the City's live rule.

What else should you confirm before acting?

What drought level is currently listed for Kamloops?

The City's live water-use page and its July 17, 2026 notice identify Drought Level 4 for customers on the City potable-water system, effective July 20. Check the page again before watering because the level and permitted schedule can change after a new City notice. Record the date checked with the controller notes.

Do Kamloops restrictions apply to every property in the city?

The published Water Use Restrictions Plan applies to customers connected to the City of Kamloops potable-water system. A property served by another provider may follow different rules, so confirm the provider before using the City's schedule. Do not assume a nearby property's address group applies to a different water system.

What can be watered under Kamloops Drought Level 4?

The current plan limits lawn and plant sprinkler or hand watering to one day per week and allows drip irrigation for trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, and food-producing plants three days per week. Confirm the exact method, address group, hours, and any permit condition before adding runtime or treating new planting as exempt.

How are Kamloops watering days assigned?

The City uses the last two digits of the street address and groups addresses ending in 00 to 30, 31 to 60, and 61 to 99. For strata or multi-family properties, use the complex street address and verify the current table before programming shared irrigation. Keep unit-level controls separate from common-area controls.

What should be written down after an irrigation service call?

For a useful handoff, record the live stage and date checked, potable-water status, address group, zones, methods, permitted day, controller changes, start times, leaks, repairs, runoff, overspray, exemption assumptions, and the next date to review the City's guidance. Attach the checklist and identify unresolved work.

Editorial and safety note

This guide summarizes public sources for planning and comparison. Rules, restriction stages, program funding, contacts, and emergency conditions can change. Verify current instructions with the responsible authority before acting.