Comox Valley Water Treatment Project

About the Comox Valley Water Treatment Project

With funding secure, land acquisitions complete and a contractor in place, detailed planning and design is now underway for the Water Treatment Project. Construction officially broke ground with a kick-off event on October 30 next to the new pump station site on Comox Lake. Read about our event here.

Photo caption left to right: CVRD director Daniel Arbour, K’ómoks First Nation Councillors Katherine Frank and Richard Hardy, CVRD directors Wendy Morin and Doug Hillian, CVRD Water Committee Chair David Frisch, K’ómoks First Nation Chief Nicole Rempel, CVRD Chair Bob Wells and CVRD director Edwin Grieve.

The project involves developing a new water treatment system to serve communities in the CVRD including new intake infrastructure, pumping stations and pipelines, force mains, transmission mains and a filtration facility.

The $126 million project budget will be covered by reserves and grant funding. Only those connected to the Comox Valley Water System will be responsible for paying for the new system at an average cost estimated at $86 per household per year.

Learn More About Our Project

News Highlights

• AECON Hiring Fair 
  • November 27 from 10 am - 2 pm
  • Pipefitters, Labourers, Carpenters, Electricians, Welders, Scafolders, Operators looking for job opportunities should attend this session 
• October 2019 - Construction Kick-Off
  • Official groundbreaking at Comox Lake
• July 2019 - Contract Awarded
  • The CVRD awarded the design-build contract to AECON Water Infrastructure Inc. and amended the project budget to $126 million.
  • Subcontractors looking for more information about provision of services should email AECON's Project Director.
  • Individuals looking for direct employment opportunities on the project should email AECON's Recruitment Lead.
• May 2019 - Licenses and Agreements Acquired
  • The CVRD successfully acquired all necessary water licenses and land use agreements setting a clear path for construction.
• January 2019 - Public Input Sought on Facilities Near Plant
  • The public was asked for input on trailhead amenities and of those results were shared with the design-builder for future planning.
• December 2018 - Land Acquired for Key Infrastructure
  • An agreement with the Fish and Game Association enabled the CVRD to acquire a key piece of land and statutory rights-of-way needed for construction.
• November 2018 - RFP Issued
  • An RFP for design and build of the new system was issued to three pre-qualified proponents.
• November 2018 - Grant Funding Secured
  • The Government of Canada and Province of BC committed $62.8 million in federal-provincial funding for the Comox Valley Water System and the Water Service (South) extension project.

Background

The Comox Valley water system provides drinking water to 45,000 residents, including the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox and the K’ómoks First Nation and needs to be updated. The current system doesn’t comply with the provincial surface water treatment objectives guideline.

Bringing the Comox Valley water system in line with other communities across BC, Canada and the developed world, the new system will deliver three main benefits:

• It will eliminate the need for turbidity-related boil water notices
• It will remove the risk of viruses and bacteria in our drinking water
• It will provide a secure supply of reliable, high quality drinking water for decades to come.

Water Agreement Signed with K’ómoks First Nation

The K’ómoks First Nation (KFN) and the CVRD signed a Mutual Benefit Agreement on September 28, 2018 confirming cooperation and collaboration in the management of water resources in the region.

In the signing of this agreement, KFN has stated its support of the Comox Valley Water Treatment Project and the CVRD’s water license application.

For more information about this agreement please see our news announcement.