Installation of water meters for the region’s Chapman Water System customers in the District of Sechelt is set to begin next month. A Sept. 21 press release from the Sunshine Coast Regional District estimated that process would be complete by July 2025.
Contractor Neptune Technology Group is to be paid up to $8.473 million (excluding GST) for the SCRD’s third phase of its water meter installations. The release noted that the contractor will communicate directly with each customer affected by this project to provide details and instructions about installation appointments.
Project budget changes
On April 20, in a closed meeting, the SCRD board increased the project’s budget by $2.1 million to $9.39 million and approved the contract award. It also accepted a $6 million grant from the Canada Community Building Fund-Strategic Priorities program to help pay for the work.
The remainder (up to $3.39 million) is to be funded by long-term borrowing. An alternative approval process (AAP), passed in July 2021, provided the SCRD elector approval to borrow up to $7.5 million to be repaid over a 20 year period to take on this work. In 2018, a similar AAP to borrow just under $6 million for the same purpose failed.
Meters: water conservation 'best practice'
The Chapman Water System was placed on Stage 4 (severe) water restrictions, which include a ban on outdoor use of drinking water, on Sept. 8. Since 2012, that system has been placed on Stage 4 seven times. In 2022, it remained on that highest level of restriction from Aug. 31 to Dec. 13.
In the release, manager of utility services Shane Walkey stated, “As witnessed during this and last summer’s unprecedented droughts, it is critical that we use our water resources as efficiently as possible. The installation of water meters and backflow prevention devices will provide much needed information to optimize the delivery of safe and reliable drinking water.”
Citing metering as “a widely recognized industry best practice,” the release said meters help measure and manage water supply and are a critical tool for leak detection and resolution. It detailed that since water meters were installed in the Town of Gibsons in 2009, the average annual water consumption decreased from 781 litres per day to 357 litres per day in 2022. Reductions in water consumption of 20 to 30 per cent have been reported in other communities that have embraced metering according to the release.
Meters were installed for SCRD water customers in Egmont/Pender Harbour, Halfmoon Bay, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone and West Howe Sound between 2014 and 2017.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that the SCRD received elector approval for water meters through a referendum. It was in fact an alternative approval process.
