Capital Regional District approves $2B, 30-year water supply master plan
The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has greenlit an overarching plan for the community's water supply infrastructure over the next 30 years.
The roughly $2-billion plan was designed to account for growing population, necessary water treatment equipment, and the effects of climate change.
The plan will be reassessed on a "five-to-10-year cycle," which could result in adjustments depending on data collected in the years to come.
The regional district says it also plans to hold public engagements throughout the 30-year period of the master plan.
21 MAJOR PROJECTS
The CRD's 2022 Regional Water Supply Master Plan builds off of a regional water supply plan that was adopted in 2017, which recommended 21 major infrastructure projects.
Some of those projects include a second deep intake in the Sooke Lake Reservoir, and a diversion of water in Leech River to the Sooke Lake and Deception Gulf reservoirs to supplement existing water supplies.
The most expensive project in the master plan is a roughly $1-billion water filtration plant north of the Goldstream Disinfection Facility.
The filtration plant will be the first one in the region, and the CRD says it will be necessary for when more water is diverted to existing reservoirs, and in case of extreme weather events.
"This plan outlines our vision to ensure continued delivery of high quality, clean, and sustainable drinking water for the next 30 years, a significant asset for our region," said CRD board chair Colin Plant in a statement Wednesday.
The CRD Regional Water Supply System currently serves 400,000 people living in Greater Victoria.
The region's population is predicted to grow by another 170,000 people by 2050.
The master plan's $2-billion budget accounts for inflation for around the time of each project's completion, according to the CRD.
With files from CTV News Vancouver Island's Brendan Strain
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.