The sewer pipe that runs along the Willemar Bluffs was built in 1982. Each day more than 14,000 cubic metres of untreated sewage (almost 6 Olympic-sized pools) moves through this pipe to the sewage treatment plant on Brent Road. It is located along an exposed section of beach, and is vulnerable to damage from waves, rocks and logs – a break in the pipe would release raw sewage into Comox Bay and Baynes Sound. 

The new system will route sewer pipes further inland where they will no longer be vulnerable to storm damage. It will also upgrade the pump stations to withstand climate change impacts and meet seismic standards. This project is urgently needed to protect the beaches and waters throughout the Comox Estuary, Point Holmes, Goose Spit coastline, as well as Baynes Sound.

This project involves: 

• Installing a new sewer pipe from the Courtenay Pump Station all the way to the sewage treatment plant.
• Building a new Courtenay Pump Station for climate resiliency and to meet current earthquake standards.
• Upgrading two other pump stations: K’ómoks Pump Station (in IR1) and Comox Pump Station (at Jane Place).

The project start date is scheduled for April 1, 2024. Construction will span a 30-month period with the first phase focusing on work in the Town of Comox and specific areas of Electoral Area B throughout 2024.

In 2024, the work will be divided into four construction zones, each with distinct traffic impacts. The second phase will commence in 2025 and entails the construction along Comox Road and Comox Avenue west of Rodello Street.

For complete details on the construction schedule and traffic impacts visit the interactive digital map linked on the project homepage or refer to the presentation package presented to the public January 2024.

The project will cost $96 million with an estimated 80-year service life for the new sewer pipe. The Sewage Commission had approved the project budget at $101 million. Following a successful procurement process in fall 2023, the CVRD was able to realize a $5 million savings.

In March 2024, the federal and provincial government announced a grant for the construction of the new Courtenay Pump Station of $9.8 million in combined funding. More details regarding the grant funding are in the linked press release.

The Comox Valley sewer system serves the City of Courtenay, the Town of Comox, K’ómoks First Nation (K’ómoks), and the Department of National Defence.

The South Sewer Extension Project, which includes collection systems, pump stations and sewer forcemains, are in planning stages, and if built, will be tied into this sewer transmission main.

This conveyance project is the result of the extensive Comox Valley Sewer System Liquid Waste Management Planning process (LWMP) which started in 2018, and was developed over three years with the input of a public and technical advisory committee.

The LWMP identified solutions for conveyance, treatment and resource recovery and included extensive public engagement throughout the process. Input was collected from the community and technical experts and was reported on throughout each stage of the process. Learn more about this plan.

A comprehensive stakeholder engagement process was completed in summer 2022 and included meetings with key stakeholder groups such as emergency services, BC Transit and the School District, presentations to Comox and City of Courtenay Councils and downtown business associations, and engagement through a survey for other private utilities, businesses and stakeholders. A "What We Heard" report was presented to the Sewage Commission in September and formed the Traffic Management Strategy.

In November 2022, the CVRD shared a project update with the community – preparing residents for construction (starting in 2024) and providing more detailed information on construction impacts and costs. It was also a chance to seek further community concerns and identify any community-specific issues that could be considered in the contract design. A "November Project Updates" summary report was presented to the Sewage Commission in December.

Feedback from groups and advocates was gathered and incorporated, where applicable, into a final Traffic Management Strategy report that will be used by the contractors in the development of a final traffic management plans. The contactor's traffic plan and construction schedules will be presented to the community spring 2024 prior to the start of construction.

The pipe route starts at the Courtenay Pump Station and will be trenched alongside Comox Road to Farmview Road. The pipe route will follow Farmview Road and utilize agricultural lands to avoid construction in archaeologically sensitive zones. Just to the west of Komoks reserve the pipe will route back to Comox Road and run through K’ómoks land past the IHOS Gallery and Band Administration office.

It will then move up Comox Hill, along Comox Ave, down Rodello Street and onto Beaufort Avenue, past the marina. From there it will route up Stewart Street in order to avoid the busy downtown core. The pipe will continue down Balmoral Avenue from Stewart Street to Torrence Road,

The pipe will be trenched through Lazo Hill along Lazo Road to Brent Road to the treatment plant. This remaining section of trenched pipe has been revised form the previous proposal to tunnel through the Hill and cross the marsh. Further due diligence is required before this alignment is finalized.

A Cultural Heritage Impacts Mitigation report was developed to ensure that all areas along the project alignment, within 200m from the shoreline or major waterbodies, are handled appropriately. Further, an archaeological investigation will occur ahead of construction to better understand the extent of archaeological material along the route. Once the initial investigation work is complete, there will be mitigation measures for identified and encountered archaeological sites, including construction monitoring and implementation of data recovery techniques as required.

During construction, the new pipe will be re-routed off Comox Road to avoid archaeologically sensitive zones. The new pipe will also be installed in the existing trench through most of K'ómoks IR1 to avoid undisturbed midden material.

Due to the extent and anticipated duration of the project, there will be significant impacts to traffic throughout the course of construction. Full details of the traffic impacts can be found in the Traffic Management Strategy.

The Traffic Management Strategy will be provided to the contractors and contractual language based on the recommendations within the strategy will be incorporated into the procurement documents to guide the contractors’ development of their traffic management plans.

A monitoring program has been developed for the project and is included in the Groundwater Protection Policy. This will include regular, annual testing for leaks using acoustic detection equipment, which goes through the pipes to listen for signs of leakage. Including this plan in the policy ensures that leak detection will continue regardless of changes to CVRD staff or elected officials.

To ensure the safety of the aquifer, the CVRD will implement a leak detection program, which entails the use of acoustic leak detection equipment to detect and identify a leak and conduct the necessary repairs. 

Working with a hydrogeologist, we completed an assessment of the aquifer and determined the estimated travel times of wastewater in the aquifer in the highly unlikely event of a leak. The developed travel time was used to inform the frequency of the acoustic monitoring, to ensure a leak is detected and can be repaired before any contamination would reach the nearest wells to the alignment.

We will also have an emergency response plan that includes the necessary designs and a spill response kit that ensures required repair materials are stored at our treatment plant.

The design of the new system, including using zero pressure gravity flow and high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, is key to protecting groundwater. By removing the requirement for a pressurized forcemain and using HDPE pipe, we are able to ensure the pipe will be very strong for the flow required and resistant to breaks or corrosion. The route also allows the pipe to stay well above aquifer and at least 20 metres away from all wells. Our groundwater consultants estimate that any leak would take over several months to reach the aquifer given the compact nature of the ground it’s being installed in – and progress 20 m horizontally. The same ground would serve as a filtering tool, preventing contamination.

 The contractor who will be completing this work has not yet been selected. As they will be responsible for defining the drilling fluid make-up, specific details on the exact composition is not available at this stage (February 2023). However, the CVRD can confirm that the contract requirements mandate that all drilling fluids, muds and additives are certified under NSF/ANSI/60: Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals – Health Effects. 

NSF/ANSI 60: Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals – Health Effects is an American National Standard that establishes the minimum health-effects requirements for the chemicals, chemical contaminants and impurities that are directly added to drinking water from drinking water treatment chemicals.

The CVRD and Town of Comox have come to an agreement to include some key infrastructure projects for the Town of Comox as part of the project. This will minimize construction and traffic disruptions for all impacted residents. Upgrades identified by the Town include: 

• New roundabout at Glacier View Drive and Comox Avenue;
• New roundabout at Rodello Street and Comox Avenue;
• Beaufort Avenue improvements including upgrading the roadway cross section on Beaufort Avenue between Church Street and Nordin Street.
• A sidewalk on both sides of Beaufort Avenue, formalized parking areas and a shared bike/vehicle lane.
• A new sidewalk on the south side of Balmoral Avenue from Stewart Street to Pritchard Street. 
• Repaving of Balmoral Avenue and Torrence Road, as well as the south bound lane of Torrence Road between Lazo Road and Albatross Avenue.

We heard very clearly from the community that preserving the trees along the construction route was an important priority, and we take the protection of trees very seriously throughout our construction projects.

As part of our commitment to environmental stewardship, we have engaged a certified arborist who will monitor the impact on the trees and ensure that they are adequately protected throughout construction.

The installation of the sewer forcemain is within the roadway to minimize impacts to trees. Only in the event that construction will severely impacted trees will there be a requirement for removal. Should this occur, decision will be made first in consultation with the arborist and in discussion with homeowners.

We are fully committed to adhering to all applicable regulations related to tree protection and environmental conservation. Our goal is to complete the project with minimal impact on the surrounding ecosystem, including the health and vitality of the trees.