2021 Summer Heat Wave in Cranbrook: Low Water Levels in the Philips Reservoir Causing Unusual Water Restrictions to the Community

Event by Darren Anderson

Cranbrook is a small city in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, nestled between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west. Climate is considered a warm-summer humid continental climate, with an average annual temperature of nearly five degrees celsius and approximately six hundred mm of rainfall per year (Climate-Data, n.d.). This location can make Cranbrook an excellent staging post for scenic outdoor activities.

Raw water for Cranbrook is obtained from the Gold Creek and Joseph Creek watersheds and diverted to the Philips Reservoir, ultimately used for community consumption. These watersheds collect available water during the rainy seasons but rely on snowmelt during the spring runoff. This reservoir provides the city with nearly twelve million gallons of water per day from these watersheds (City of Cranbrook, n.d.).

During average summer month temperatures, the city typically places water restrictions on the community to help preserve the water levels of the Phillips Reservoir to ensure an adequate supply of drinking water. However, in 2021, record-breaking heat temperatures hit Cranbrook during the summer months (Crawley, 2021). These prolonged above-normal temperatures required the City of Cranbrook to increase water restrictions to levels not generally experienced by the community. Additionally, during this time (personal experience), the water was discoloured and had an odor, forcing bottled water to ensure safe drinking.

References: City of Cranbrook. (n.d). Raw Water Source. City of Cranbrook. https://cranbrook.ca/residents/water-conservation/water-quality/raw-water-source/

Climate-Data. (n.d.). Climate Cranbrook. Climate-Data.Org. Retrieved on September 23, 2021. https://en.climate-data.org/north-america/canada/british-columbia/cranbrook-948/

Crawley. T. (2021, June 29). Cranbrook breaks temperature record as heat wave bakes Western Canada. Cranbrook Daily Townsman. https://www.cranbrooktownsman.com/news/cranbrook-breaks-temperature-record-as-heat-wave-bakes-western-canada/#:~:text=Cranbrook%20breaks%20temperature%20record%20as%20heat%20wave%20bakes,a%20heat%20wave%20continues%20to%20blast%20Western%20Canada