Comox Valley Water Treatment Project

British Columbia

The Comox Valley Water Treatment Project has provided a vital source of clean drinking water for over 50,000 residents in the communities of Courtenay, Comox, and K’ómoks First Nation. Stantec, as prime consultant to the Aecon design-build team, worked in partnership and collaboration with the Comox Valley Regional District and the local community to deliver a new water treatment system. This included an intake and raw water pump station, and a water treatment plant and conveyance system which supplies 75 million litres per day of treated water from Comox Lake. The project incorporates many energy conservation features including natural lighting, LED lighting, energy efficient residuals dewatering, and recycling of all process water, including spent filter backwash water, which enables 99% of water coming into the plant to be processed with minimal wastage. The Comox Valley Water Treatment Project was delivered in only 30 months from design to completion through COVID-19 and supply chain disruptions with 99% of the workforce employed from the local community. Built with future growth of the region in mind, the new water treatment system provides robustness and flexibility for raw water quality variation to accommodate future treatment that may be needed. The jury selected this project for its exemplary project management, meeting both budget and timeline targets. The incorporation of diverse nature trails and a hatchery, along with active involvement with local residents, demonstrates how a project can be integrated into the fabric of the community.