The Town of Osoyoos operates water systems within its municipal boundary and in Electoral Area A. These include the domestic water system, as well as Irrigation Systems 8 and 9, located on the west side of Osoyoos Lake, both north and south of the Town boundary.
Systems 8 and 9 were originally constructed in the 1960s, when open irrigation canals were replaced with a pressurized system. Until 1990, the South Okanagan Lands Irrigation District (SOLID) owned and operated these systems, supplying irrigation water from lake intakes. When SOLID was dissolved in 1990, ownership and operation were transferred to the Town of Osoyoos.
Today, Systems 8 and 9 provide irrigation water to approximately 610 hectares of agricultural land.
While these systems were originally designed for irrigation, increasing demand for potable water has led to expansion of the domestic water system into these areas. This work, known as the Rural Area Twinning Project, has been underway since 2017 and allows domestic and irrigation systems to operate independently. To date, about 60% of System 8 and 100% of System 9 have been twinned.
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Flow Control Valve: The Town of Osoyoos allows 8.25 US gallons/per minute/per acre. Please check your flow control device annually to ensure proper function.
Water supplied from System 8 intakes in Osoyoos Lake does not meet the Provincial Drinking Water Treatment Objectives.
The primary deficiencies include:
Insufficient chlorine contact time for properties located near the two pumphouses
Lack of treatment (such as filtration) to remove or inactivate parasites, including Giardia and Cryptosporidium
In accordance with direction from the Interior Health Authority, all untwined System 8 residents are under a year-round boil water advisory.
If your property falls within the yellow area shown on the map, it’s recommended that any water used for consuming be brought to a rolling boil on a stovetop for at least 60 seconds to ensure any harmful organisms are eliminated. Please notify any tenants, visitors or other building occupants of the boil water notice in place.
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The irrigation season runs from April 15 to October 15 each year.
Growers have the option to start irrigation as early as April 1 and extend service until October 31.
If the 15th falls on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, system turn-on or shut-off will take place the following Monday.
Application to request turn on/off must be done at Town Hall. All applicable fees must be paid before water will be turned on. To request late water, application must be made before October 15th each year.
2026 Early/Late Water Fees
Early Irrigation Turn-on: $1.38/per acre/per day Late Irrigation Turn-off: $41.28 per acre Turn on/off Fee (applies to each property) $207.00
