Dear Editor:

I don’t understand. The district spent millions of dollars to expand Thirsk Dam, nearly doubling our storage capacity.

After very dry fall and winter seasons, all of our reservoirs (except Garnett Lake) are full and spilling. So why have we gone to Stage 2 watering restrictions?

If the district’s water situation is so bad that Stage 2 restrictions are needed when our dams are full, why does council continually approve large scale developments? Is this why we are conserving our water?

From what I‘ve read, residential water use accounts for only 20 per cent during peak irrigation season.

If these users were to conserve 10 to 20 per cent, the net result would be a reduction of two to four per cent of total usage.

Is this really going to make much of an impact when our reservoirs are full in the middle of June?

Whatever happened to the chart process which would implement restrictions based on reserves?

We are told not to water during the heat of the day — this water is effectively being wasted. So why are we allowed to water between 6 and 7 p.m. but not between 9 and 10 or even 11 a.m.

Why are agricultural users allowed to use overhead sprinklers during the afternoon.

How many people with underground sprinklers on timers bother to turn the system off after a good rainfall like the one we had on June 21 to 22?

Does the Peach Orchard Beach water park pump water from the lake or is our precious treated water being used as a play toy for children?

I could easily live with advanced watering restrictions if they made sense and if our reserves were lacking.

Implementing Stage 2 when our reservoirs are full simply because a long hot summer is predicted (what else is new) or because other jurisdictions are implementing restrictions seems to be an overreaction.

My personal water conservation tip is that a stream of water the same thickness as a pencil is sufficient for washing your hands.

Robert Brown

Summerland