CRD planning to spend $2B to protect regional water supply

The Capital Regional District (CRD) is looking to spend just over $2-billion, spread out over 30 years, to protect the region's water supply.

Roughly $1-billion would go towards building the region's first-ever water filtration plant. The other billion would expand the existing Sooke Lake Reservoir and upgrade and twin some of its existing infrastructure.

"It’s really focused on managing and mitigating those risks associated with a regional water supply," said Ted Robbins, general manager of Integrated Water Services with the CRD.

The big risk is climate change and its effect on the quality of raw water.

One of those risks is more intense rainstoms in the winter, which can cause run-off from surrounding hills.

Alternatively, hotter summers can lead to droughts and algae blooms.

While the $2-billion long term plan can be an eyebrow-raising amount, the CRD says it's a necessary cost.

Currently, water in the Sooke Lake Reservoir is so clean it doesn’t need to be filtered. Instead, the water is disinfected with UV light and treated with chlorine and ammonia. If it did need to be filtered, there is no infrastructure in place capable of completing that task.

"We’re also anticipating the needs for water supply in respect to the growing region," said Robbins.

By 2050, the population in the region is expected to grow by nearly 170,000 people.

A "twinning" of some of the infrastructure is a big part of the project. If there is a failure with today’s infrastructure, there is no backup plan.

WATER COSTS

Another important question is, will there be an increase in the water rate?

The CRD says yes there will be. Currently, the wholesale rate that water is sold by the CRD to municipalities is about 73 cents per cubic metre.

"We’re anticipating based on our modeling that that rate may increase up to three or four times by the late 2030s," said Robbins.

The estimated completion date for the $1-billion filtration plant is 2037.

"We know that with the climate emergency, with climate change, with the extreme weather that we’re getting, that we’re going to have to treat our water at a higher level," said Lillian Szpak, chair of the Regional Water Supply Commission.

Szpak says the 30-year plan will ensure that the region's water supply stays healthy.

"All of these things are for the greater good of our community and making sure we’ve got plenty of good, safe drinking water," she said.

The cost estimates for all 21 capital projects in the CRD's 30-year plan have been scaled for around the time of completion of each project. That is to account for inflationary factors going forward.

Currently, the project is going through its public engagement process, which gives the community the chance to provide feedback on the project.

Feedback can be submitted to the CRD through its website until July 6.

After that, the commission will decide to endorse the plan or not.