Water

The Strathcona Regional District owns and maintains the Electoral Area D Water Service which provides high quality drinking water to approximately 1,135 homes and businesses from the Jubilee Parkway to York Road. The majority of these services are for residential properties. The distribution network consists of 29.3 kilometers of water main, 110 hydrants, 340 valves, and pressure reducing valves at McGimpsey Road and Storrie Creek.

Throughout the year, the Strathcona Regional District restricts water usage in order to ensure residents have enough water to meet their basic needs. Generally, the Strathcona Regional District maintains Stage 1 restrictions year round, and if required, increasing the restriction in the hotter summer months.

Any change to water restrictions will be advertised in the local media, shared through the SRD Facebook page, and posted on this site.

---

About SRD Electoral Area D Water Service 

Northern Electoral Area D drinking water comes from the Campbell River watershed. The water is collected from John Hart lake and treated with U.V. radiation and chlorination to ensure safety and potability throughout the distribution system. The distribution system is comprised of many components including pressure reducing valves, hydrants, valves and water mains and is one of the most complex medium sized distribution systems existing in British Columbia.

The distribution system that serves the residents of Campbell River also serves the residents and businesses of northern Area D.

The water is sold to Strathcona Regional District (SRD) for delivery to about 1,135 properties from Jubilee Parkway south to Vaughn Rd. The distribution network consists of 29.3 kilometers of water main, 110 hydrants, 340 valves, and pressure reducing valves at McGimpsey Road and Stories Creek.  Click on map to zoom in.

Residents of northern Area D can help reduce the annual operating costs of running the system by adopting water-wise habits. An important component of water-wise use is understanding patterns of consumption and the importance of following the sprinkling restrictions set out in Bylaw 324.

Water use Bylaw 324

Strathcona Regional District’s NEW Bylaw 324, being the “Electoral Area D Water Regulation, Fees, and Charges Bylaw – 2019”, provides the regional district the authority to restrict discretionary water usage for the northern electoral Area D.

The regional district implements water use restrictions during both peak consumption periods (typically between 4 – 9 am and 7 – 11 pm.) and periods of high demand to maintain enough water for household and firefighting needs.

Periods of high demand

Periods of high demand occur in the summer, due to the typical climate pattern of warm, dry summers and cool rainy winters, spring, fall. Climate refers to average weather data over a 30 year period.

Figure 1. Climate pattern for the Black Creek area. (Source: http://climate.weather.gc.ca/FAQ_e.html#Q6). This climate graph represents averages for 1981 – 2010. The next one will cover 1991 to 2020 but won’t be available till late 2021 August.

The increased water use is directly linked to garden irrigation practices, which often result in “over-watering”. (See Bylaw 324, pg 14.) “Over watering” means to water in a manner that saturates the lawn, boulevard or landscaped area and results to water spreading onto areas beyond them.  Water consumption for 2017 and 2018 is shown below.

Figure 2. Water consumption in Area D throughout 2017 and 2018. Note the relationship with the climate normal graph. Greatest water consumption happens when precipitation decreases and daily temperatures increase.

How much water is 1 cubic meter (m3)?

264.2 US gallons (USG) / 220 Imperial gallons (IG)

How much water do you use?

Try these calculators to determine how much water your residence uses:

Indoor use and conservation: https://www.home-water-works.org/calculator

Outdoor use: http://www.bcagriculturewatercalculator.ca/

---

Have questions or concerns… we’re here to help.

Issue:	Department:	Contact:
Report a leak	Property Services	engineering@srd.ca or 250-830-6718
Report a water or system problem	Property Services	engineering@srd.ca or 250-830-6718
Request a medical exemption	Property Services	engineering@srd.ca or 250-830-6718
Billing enquiries or rates	Finance Services	utilities@srd.ca or 250-830-6700
Request a meter installation	Engineering Services	engineering@srd.ca or 250-830-6719
Request a new lawn permit	Property Services	engineering@srd.ca or 250-830-6718
Water conservation or irrigation bylaw enquiries	Engineering Services	engineering@srd.ca or 250-830-6719
Report an irrigation bylaw contravention	Bylaw Compliance	bylaws@srd.ca or 250-830-6718