Every day in the Comox Valley Regional District, we turn on our taps and clean water comes out. If you’ve ever stopped to think about where water comes from, how it gets from lake to tap, and what’s in the water, this web page will be of some assistance.

The Role of the CVRD in Water Supply and Delivery

The CVRD's role is to provide a reliable source of safe, high-quality drinking water to homes and businesses within some of its member municipalities and electoral areas. This includes acquiring and maintaining the water supply, treating it to ensure quality, and delivering it-all at a reasonable cost.

Water Sources and Supply

• Comox Valley Water System: water originates in Comox Lake and is taken from the Puntledge River (delivers water to approximately 41,000 residents)
• Black Creek/Oyster Bay Water System: water originates in groundwater wells and from the Oyster River (delivers water to 2,200 residents & in the summertime up to 6,000)
• Royston Water System provides water to approximately 2,000 residents
• Denman Island Water System: water is purchased in bulk from the Graham Lake Improvement District and delivered to approximately 50 residents

Shared Resource

Water in the CVRD is a shared resource and needs to be used efficiently. The water from Comox Lake and the Puntledge River is licensed and used primarily by BC Hydro for electricity generation and by Fisheries and Oceans Canada for hatchery purposes and other habitat projects. In addition, the water source has numerous important ecological values and uses. 

• BC Ministry of Environment Water Stewardship 
• BC Hydro 
       o Puntledge    
       o Fish and wildlife  
       o Vancouver Island Water Use Planning 
• DFO Puntledge Hatchery 

Watershed Reports

Further information about the Comox Lake watershed and water system can be found in the following reports: 

• Watershed reports  

Water Efficiency

In order to ensure that our vital water resources are used efficiently, CVRD uses various water efficiency measures.