Regional Water Supply Commission
The Regional water supply is overseen by a Regional Water Supply Commission composed of 19 commissioners appointed by member municipalities and the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area. Representation and weighted voting are based on population, on the same basis as for the CRD Board.
Services include:
- strategic planning to provide a safe and adequate supply of potable water;
- management of the Greater Victoria Water Supply Area Lands comprising 11,052 hectares;
- enforcement of the closed watershed policy to protect water quality;
- construction of water supply reservoirs and water supply mains;
- systematic infrastructure maintenance using an advanced maintenance management program;
- disinfection of the raw water;
- delivery of bulk water to municipal boundaries (Victoria & Esquimalt, Saanich, Oak Bay ) and to the Saanich Peninsula Water Commission's boundary;
- development and delivery of demand management programs throughout Greater Victoria and Sooke; and
- water quality monitoring through collection of samples from the supply and distribution systems and testing in the Department's laboratory (or outside laboratories).
The department operates five surface water supply reservoirs storing approximately 103 million cubic metres of water when filled to capacity, an 8.8 kilometres long supply tunnel and approximately 125 kilometres of large diameter supply mains ranging in size from 610 millimetres to 1500 millimetres in diameter, two treatment plants where the water is disinfected using chlorination following by chloramination (chlorine and ammonia), four supply system balancing reservoirs, six pressure reducing stations, 1,168 control valves and 37 supply (revenue) metres.
Funding Regional Services
Funds for capital and operational costs are derived exclusively from the sale of water.