770 Harmston Avenue, Courtenay, BC V9N 0G8 |Directions
Graham Lake Water Treatment Plant – Denman Island Fire Infrastructure Upgrades voting poll is now closed. Thank you for participating.
The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) manages the Graham Lake Water Local Service Area (WLSA), which provides water to 91 properties (approx. 200 residents). Water in the system is drawn from Graham Lake via a 700m transmission line to a treatment facility before being pumped into the distribution system.
The Graham Lake Water System was previously owned and operated by the Graham Lake Improvement District and supplied water to the CVRD’s Denman Island WLSA. The system was converted to a CVRD service on January 1, 2023.
The Graham Lake Water System is currently not in compliance with provincial drinking water treatment regulations. Over the past few years, CVRD staff have been working through challenges with the system and restarted the treatment pilot project to confirm the selected treatment technology can achieve water quality guidelines.
In March 2026, the Electoral Areas Services Committee (EASC) approved staff’s recommendations on moving forward with Bio-sand Filtration + Nanofiltration treatment and engaging with the community to determine if additional borrowing for fire upgrades should be included as a part of the formal community approval process for funding the Graham Lake Water Treatment Project.
October 6, 2025 Staff provided an update on the Graham Lake dam and the treatment pilot project, as well as recommended updates to the parcel tax and fees and charges.
September 10, 2024 The CVRD merged the Graham Lake WLSA and the Denman Island WLSA into one service.
June 20, 2024 An open house was held at the Denman Island Fire Hall to share information on work completed in the past year and discuss additional feedback from the community.
June 17, 2024 CVRD staff proposed a merger of the Graham Lake and Denman Island water local service areas, as well as the reallocation of Community Works Funds to resolve the differential reserve balances between the two services. The EASC Directors approved the recommendations and staff will work towards merging the two services by early 2025.
March 11, 2024 CVRD staff provided an update on the Graham Lake/Denman Island Water Service, including interim treatment plant upgrades, water treatment project, Graham Lake hydrology study and Graham Lake dam study.
November 6, 2023 CVRD staff presented a current assessment of the Graham Lake/Denman Island Water Service, with a number of recommendations to improve the long-term sustainability of this service. The recommendations outlined in the below staff report were voted in favour and approved to move forward by EASC Directors.
September 11, 2023 With the completion of a new water treatment facility not expected for several years, CVRD water operations has identified a number of improvements aimed at increasing the level of automation and ability to remotely monitor the system, which will significantly reduce the operating effort by Graham Lake contract and CVRD operators.
June 2023 On June 12, 2023 an information session was held at the Denman Island Community Hall to provide additional analysis and recommended water treatment options for the area. Below is the presentation given by Kris La Rose, Senior Manager of Water and Wastewater Services.
March 2023 Staff have paused all planning for treatment upgrades until more assessment options have been completed and public engagement with affected residents has occurred.
The Graham Lake Water System currently does not meet health guidelines. The former Graham Lake Improvement District (GLID) completed a number of studies assessing the viability of treatment technologies for Graham Lake to meet the Surface Water Treatment Objectives. With support from the CVRD, GLID undertook a pilot study in 2022 that ultimately was able to successfully demonstrate the system could meet Surface Water Treatment Objectives.
In the final months leading up to conversion on Jan 1, 2023, the former GLID trustees and CVRD staff worked together to develop a financial model of the system. During this process, CVRD staff reviewed recent watermain construction costs as the relative age and construction of nearly the entire system indicated they were nearing replacement. GLID also received the updated cost estimate for the new treatment technology. Given the high costs associated with both of these separate projects, CVRD staff are projecting significant borrowing costs in the coming years for the system.
Please note: the below studies are available for historic purposes only. These studies were conducted prior to the Comox Valley Regional District managing operations of this water system (Graham Lake Improvement District) and are now no longer relevant to current conditions.
Graham Lake Water Treatment Plant – Denman Island Fire Infrastructure Upgrades
Residents within the Graham Lake Water Local Service Area who may be affected by the proposed fire infrastructure upgrades have been invited to a webinar and open house which will provide key information regarding the pros, cons, costs, and impacts of fire hydrant upgrades in their area. Following the information sessions, residents will be invited to cast their votes on whether they support the proposed upgrades.
Webinar information:
April 15 at 6pm
Residents were invited to attend our Denman Island Fire Infrastructure Upgrades Webinar for an in-depth learning experience on the proposed improvements to select fire hydrants on Denman Island, including what the upgrades include, why it matters, and what impacts it will have on residents. Attendance and participation in the webinar help residents make an informed decision for the online poll and for the upcoming formal community approval process in May. The webinar included a 15-minute presentation followed by a question-and-answer period.
Residents were invited to attend our Denman Island Fire Infrastructure Upgrades Open House for an in-person discussion on the proposed improvements with staff on the Graham Lake Water Service. To help you make an informed decision for the online poll and in the upcoming formal community approval process in May, staff will be available onsite to help answer any questions for residents. For in-depth information regarding the upgrades, we invite you to watch our recorded Denman Island Fire Infrastructure Upgrades Webinar which is available on this page.
