Water Resources Award of Excellence
Comox Valley Water Treatment Plant Stantec
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CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER
Multiple improvements Improvements were made to components of the water treatment system with a multi-barrier approach from source to tap, which involved source protection, monitoring, reducing turbidity and removing the risk of viruses and bacteria, with three levels of treatment—filtration, ultraviolet (UV) and chlorination. This included a new lake intake (to access cooler water), lakeshore raw water pump station and transmission main, direct filtration water treatment plant and treated water transmission main. To preserve the beauty of the surrounding area and mitigate noise concerns for residents, an underground pump station was built at Comox Lake. An intake tunnel was constructed to reduce impacts to the lakebed and fisheries. Energy conservation features were incorporated, including natural and LED lighting, energy-efficient residuals dewatering and high-rate filters to
“This project helps people understand where their clean water comes from.” – Jury
reduce the footprint needed for the facility. All process water is recycled, including spent filter backwash water, enabling 99% of water coming into the plant to be processed with minimal wastage. The new treatment facilities were delivered in 30 months from design to completion of construction, through the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions and hyper-inflation. An accelerated schedule The key challenge with this $126-million project was the accelerated schedule to meet deadlines set by key stakeholders. When the province declared a state of emergency due to the pandemic, it presented restrictions that affected project completion, heavily impacting the labour force and the supply chain for major equipment and materials. Deep collaboration and support from CVRD made the 30-month schedule achievable. The Stantec/ Aecon integrated design-build team September/October 2023
PHOTO COU RT E SY STA N T EC.
he Comox Valley Water Treatment Plant was completed in October 2022, marking the largest infrastructure initiative undertaken by the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) to date. The new system provides a vital source of clean drinking water for the communities of Courtenay, Comox and K'ómoks First Nation in British Columbia. Stantec, as prime consultant to Aecon’s design-build team, worked with CVRD and the community to deliver a new water treatment plant and conveyance system, which supplies 75 million L per day (MLD) of treated water from Comox Lake. The firm also worked with the K'ómoks First Nation (KFN) community to design the facility, which resides on KFN territory. CVRD provides water to 50,000 residents. Since 2014, the unfiltered system had suffered through boilwater advisories relating to turbidity issues. To resolve concerns from the public and the provincial ministry of health, including meeting surface water treatment guidelines, CVRD planned for the design and construction of new facilities. Built with future regional growth in mind, the new system provides flexibility to address raw water quality variations caused by climate change. Comox Valley communities now have access to a secure supply of reliable, high-quality drinking water for generations to come.
