Comox Valley Sewer Service Liquid Waste Management Plan

Joint Technical and Public Advisory Committee Meetings

Meetings are open to the public to observe and will be hosted in the Civic Room at the CVRD's office at 770 Harmston Avenue, Courtenay. Meetings are recorded and the videos will be posted after the meeting.

In 2018, the CVRD started work on a Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) for the Comox Valley Sewer System to ensure our system will continue to operate safely and grow with our community. This process is used by local governments in BC to develop strategies for managing sewer services. It includes the collection/review of existing information, development of options for future services, identification of a preferred option, completion of required studies and assessments and development of financial and implementation plans. The plan involves public consultation at all steps in the process and is ultimately submitted to the provincial government for review and consideration for approval. To see how input has been collected and used throughout this process, please click the Public Engagement drop-down menu below.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this process, including the many members of the general public who participated in workshops, open houses, online surveys, and online information sessions. In particular, thank you to the members of the public and technical advisory committee (TACPAC) for their ongoing commitment over the three-year process.

The project team submitted the draft Stage 1& 2 plan to the province for review and approval as the second phase of this three step process. The draft plan for Stage 1& 2 was submitted summer 2022 and reviewed by the province in summer 2023. A Stage 3 plan is now being drafted, which will incorporate feedback from the province and the LWMP TACPAC, as well as include the south region addendum that proposes connecting areas of Royston and Union Bay to the Comox Valley Sewer Service. The Stage 3 LWMP will develop the financing and implementation schedule for upgrades to achieve the level of treatment selected through the Stage 1& 2 process. The Stage 3 plan will be shared with the community and then submitted back to the province for final approval, which is likely to occur in 2026-2027.

For more information on the south region addendum, visit the Sewer Extension South Project page.

The LWMP identified a preferred conveyance route for new/upgraded sewer pipes and pump stations, which was approved by the Comox Valley Sewage Commission in February 2021. Borrowing was approved through an Alternative Approval Process in July 2021 and this critical work is now moving forward as a separate project due to its urgent nature. This new system will route sewer pipes further inland where they will no longer be vulnerable to damage by waves, rocks and logs. The construction of this new line started in spring 2024 and will protect the beaches and waters throughout the Comox Estuary, Point Holmes, Goose Spit coastline, as well as Baynes Sound.

Visit the Comox Valley Sewer Conveyance project page to learn more.

• Present to Fall 2025: Drafting of Stage 3 LWMP report.
• Fall 2025-Winter 2026: Review of Stage 3 LWMP report.
• Early 2026: Stage 3 LWMP report submitted to province.
• 2026: Provincial review of Stage 3 LWMP report.
• 2027: Provincial approval of LWMP and beginning of Phase 4 upgrades.

A major component of the Stage 3 work underway is development of a comprehensive site master plan and detailed design of Phase 4 upgrades at the Plant. Originally constructed in the early 1980s with a projected 50-year operating life, the Plant requires upgrades to maintain reliable service and increase capacity to support regional population growth now and into the future. The site master plan is focused on developing an implementation schedule and associated costs to do so over the next 50 years, the results of this study work will be embedded within the Stage 3 LWMP report.

A requirement of the Stage 3 Report is a detailed design for all upgrades at the Plant for any projects occurring before the first review of the LWMP (within the next 10 years). The Phase 4 upgrades prioritize optimization of the existing treatment processes to increase the performance of the existing infrastructure and help reduce capital costs over the next five decades. Improvements to the headworks facility, tertiary treatment processes, and complete overhaul of CVWPCC's original electrical infrastructure, along with staff facility improvements are still required to replace aging components and accommodate further population growth within the service.

The CVRD has reached several important milestones in the liquid waste management planning process since the kick-off in early summer 2018:

• June 2018: Community workshop to help determine community values around managing sewer services in Comox and Courtenay.
• October 2018: Public and Technical Advisory Committee members selected.
• November 2018: Community workshop to share and receive feedback on sewer planning goals/objectives drafted by the advisory committees.
• January 2019: Community information session to share and receive feedback on the long list of options for conveyance, treatment and resource recovery.
• February 2019: Sewage Commission adopted the goals and objectives for the long-term plan. See the staff report here.
• March 2019: Sewage Commission accepted the long list of options for conveyance, treatment and resource recovery. See the staff report here.
• April-December 2019: CVRD undertook extensive technical review and First Nations consultation.  
• March 2020: Sewage Commission approved the short list of options for the service’s conveyance system and the shortlist went to the community for their input. See the staff report here. 
• April 2020: Engagement process paused due to COVID-19 response. Public consultation suspended, with plans to re-launch in the fall. See the staff report here.
• September 2020: Public consultation on shortlisted options relaunched. See the news release here.
• September 30, October 1, 7 and 8:  Webinar and in-person open houses to provide more information about the options under consideration.
• November 5, 2020: Groundwater Webinar to answer questions from Lazo Area residents about how groundwater will be protected during the installation and operation of a new conveyance system. 
• December 8, 2020: Sewage Commission approved the preferred treatment and resource recovery option. For more information read the staff report. 
• February 18, 2021: The CVRD and K’ómoks First Nation announced a sewer agreement that provides support for moving the Liquid Waste Management Plan forward.  Read the agreement here.
• February 24, 2021: Sewage Commission approved the preferred option for conveyance. See the staff report here.
• March 9, 2021: The Sewage Commission introduced a loan authorization bylaw for the Sewer System Conveyance Project and approved the proposed alternative approval process logistics. See the staff report here or click here for more details about the AAP process.
• April 13, 2021: The Sewage Commission approved the implementation strategy for the conveyance project, including the procurement model. Read the full staff report here.
• July 8, 2021: Borrowing approved for the conveyance project through the Alternative Approval Process.
• September 20, 2022: The Sewage Commission approved the draft Stage 1 and 2 Liquid Waste Management Plan report. See the staff report here. The draft plan can be found here, as well as appendices A, B, C-F, G, H, I-M and N.
• December 21, 2022: The Stage 1 and 2 Liquid Waste Management Plan report was submitted to the province for review.
• May 10, 2023: The province provided comments for consideration when preparing the Stage 3 report.
• July 11, 2023: The Sewage Commission approved the proposed path forward for completing the necessary study work required to submit the Stage 3 Liquid Waste Management Plan report. See the staff report here.
• May 7, 2024: The Public and Technical Advisory Committee Terms of Reference were updated to reflect the completion of the Sewer Extension South addendum process, with the Sewer Extension South TACPAC dissolved and combined into the Comox Valley Sewer Service TACPAC for the Stage 3 LWMP. See the staff report here.
• July-August 2024: The CVRD reached out to the community to fill several vacant resident representative positions on the Public Advisory Committee.
• September 10, 2024: An update was provided to the Sewage Commission on the work currently underway and required for submittal of the Stage 3 LWMP. See the staff report here.
• October 8, 2024: The Sewage Commission selected several members of the public to fill the vacant resident representative positions for the City of Courtenay and Town of Comox.
• January 14, 2025: An update was provided to the Sewage Commission on the outfall condition assessment and the Stage 2 Environmental Impact Study. See the staff report here.
• March 11, 2025: The Sewage Commission approved incorporating chemically enhanced primary treatment, diversion of diluted primary effluent during wet weather events in excess of the biological treatment capacity and the addition of tertiary filtration under all flow conditions into the Comox Valley Water Pollution Control Centre Site Master Plan. See the staff report here.
• June 10, 2025: The Sewage Commission supported including infrastructure upgrades necessary to pressurize the outfall to extend its capacity for 10 years as part of the Comox Valley Water Pollution Control Centre Phase 4 upgrades.  See the staff report here.

Eight members of the community served on the Public Advisory Committee throughout the Stage 1/2 LWMP process. These representatives from Comox, Courtenay and Area B, played an essential role in considering community goals and public opinion/feedback throughout the planning process. The committee met regularly and meeting minutes are below.  For more information about the role of the committee, please see the committee's Terms of Reference. 

• November 13, 2018 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 1 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentations
  • LWMP Public Consultation Plan
• November 13, 2018 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 1 - Minutes

• November 23, 2018 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 2 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentations
  • Phase 1 Public Consultation Report
  • Phase 1 Public Consultation Report - Appendix
• November 23, 2018 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 2 - Minutes

• December 11, 2018 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 3 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentations
  • Phase 2 Public Consultation Report
  • Phase 2 Public Consultation Report - Appendix
• December 11, 2018 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 3 - Minutes

• January 24, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 4 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentations
• January 24, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 4 - Minutes

• February 8, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 5 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentation
• February 8, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 5 - Minutes

• March 22, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 6 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentation
• March 22, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 6 - Minutes

• September 30, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 7 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentation
• September 30, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 7 - Minutes

• December 5, 2019 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 8 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentations
• December 5, 2019 LMWP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 8 - Minutes

• March 4, 2020 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 9 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentations
• March 4, 2020 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 9 - Minutes

• September 28, 2020 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 10 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentations
• September 28, 2020 LWMP Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 10 - Minutes

• October 20, 2020 LWMP TAC Meeting No. 10.A - Agenda
• October 20, 2020 LWMP TAC Meeting No. 10.A - Minutes

• October 27, 2020 Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 11 - Agenda
  • Meeting Presentations
• October 27, 2020 Joint TACPAC Meeting No. 11 - Minutes

Liquid Waste Management Plan Engagement Process
Consultation Plan

Community Values
Phase 1 Summary Report
Phase 1 Appendices

Goals and Objectives
Phase 2 Summary Report
Phase 2 Appendices

Long List
Phase 3 Summary Report
Phase 3 Appendices

Short List
Phase 4 Summary Report
Phase 4 Appendices

Reporting Back
Phase 5 Summary Report
Phase 5 Appendices