Saltair Water System

Saltair Water System is located south-east of Ladysmith in Area G. The water system services primarily residential homes but it also services select commercial properties.

Although the potable water is of good quality, the system does not currently comply with the provincial Surface Water Treatment Objectives (SWTO) and has been operating under a longstanding Contravention Order issued by Island Health. CVRD Utilities is currently pursuing options to meet these Surface Water Treatment Objectives. For more information on the water treatment upgrade project, please visit the Plan Your Cowichan Saltair Water System Treatment Upgrade Project webpage.

Source, Treatment and Distribution

The source of water for this system is Stocking Lake, which is located West of the service area. Water flows from the lake, through the treatment plant, and is then stored in a 819 m³ above-ground reservoir. The water receives both UV-light and chlorine disinfection and is fed from the reservoir to the customers by gravity.

Critical equipment is monitored 24-hours a day for malfunctions, such as high or low chlorine levels or pump failures. If such an abnormality occurs, an alarm is sent to the on-duty pager to alert CVRD staff for immediate response.

Water Quality Testing

Saltair water system is sampled at least once a week. The following table shows the sampling frequency and parameters tested for the water system:

Testing results can be found in the Annual Water Report completed each year.

Fee Structure

Saltair Water System is a fully metered water system and each connection has a water meter that records water consumption. Water meters are read every six months and customers are charged according to their consumption. Current year budget information can be found here.

Undetected Leaks

Undetected Leaks will be considered in any buried service water line or water line in the building’s walls. Plumbing fixtures are taps, toilets and hose bibs. 

User Charges may be adjusted where an undetected leak on the consumer’s property has resulted in water usage greatly exceeding typical usage of water, according to the applicable classification(s) and there is no indication that water was knowingly allowed to run to waste. A request for a leak adjustment may be granted if all of the following conditions are met or in extraordinary circumstances, upon approval of the Corporate Financial Officer or the Manager.

1. The property owner has not been granted a leak adjustment in the last 5 years. 
2. The leak was repaired within 30 days of billing or discovery of the leak.
3. Written verification describing the nature of the leakage and the action taken to rectify the problem must be received by the Manager before a leak adjustment will be granted.

Where a leak adjustment is approved, User Charge adjustments will be determined as follows:

1. If the leak is found in the service line, volumes from the 2 previous years, of the same billing cycle, will be averaged and charged. i.e. Average of 2 previous summers, if leak occurs in the summer.
2. If the leak is associated with an in-home plumbing fixture or irrigation system, volumes from the 2 previous years, of the same billing cycle will be averaged plus 50% of the incremental water usage (between the average and the overage) will be charged to a maximum added value of $500.
3. Subsequent leaks occurring within 5 years of the previous leak adjustment request will be eligible for the cap of $1,500 per single family dwelling equivalent, up to a maximum of $5,000. Where the average of the 2 previous years of the same billing cycle is greater than $5,000, the eligible cap will be 1.5 times the average.

Undetected Leak Adjustment Application

In order to apply for an adjustment, an Undetected Leak Adjustment Application must be completed and submitted within 30 days of billing or leak discovery.

The process for submitting an Undetected Leak Adjustment Application is as follows:

1. Identify and repair the leak on your property.
2. Fill out the Undetected Leak Adjustment Application, found here.
3. Submit the completed application with supplemental materials (photos, invoices, etc.) to Utilities@cvrd.bc.ca.

Please note the following:

• An incomplete application and/or missing photos/invoices will result in a delay in processing the Undetected Leak Adjustment Application.
• Completion of this form does not guarantee that an adjustment will be granted.

This system does not currently have capacity for any additional connections or inclusions. Further development would require developer-funded system upgrades to create additional capacity.