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.
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.
