Cowichan Bay Waterworks District was incorporated as an Improvement District under the Water Act of 1939 on August 12, 1946.
Improvement districts are autonomous local government bodies [akin to a town or village], responsible for providing one or more local services for the benefit of the residents in a community. Improvement districts are usually located in rural areas of the province. They are similar in structure to a municipality and provide a direct service, such as waterworks. There are more than 200 improvement districts operating in the province.
Improvement districts are administered by an elected board of trustees, one of whom has the additional duty of chair. Each trustee is elected for a three-year term by the eligible landowners of the improvement district. To be eligible to vote, or to be a candidate for trustee, a person must be eighteen years of age, a Canadian citizen, an owner of land in the improvement district and a B.C. resident for the previous six months.
TRUSTEES:
Jonas Shandel
Julia Balabanowicz
Pete Edgar
Wendy Gregg
Calvin Slade - Chair
The improvement district’s Letters Patent, applicable sections of the Local Government Act, and other applicable provincial statutes outline the powers that can be exercised by the board of trustees. These powers include the ability to enact and enforce its regulations and charges, to assess and collect taxes, to acquire, hold and dispose of lands, to borrow money and to expropriate lands required to carry out its functions. The board of trustees exercise these powers through the passage of motions and bylaws.
Although improvement districts are independent public corporations, they are also subject to review by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Some bylaws passed by the board of trustees must be sent to the Ministry. In addition, each year the improvement district’s audited financial statements and the minutes of its annual general meeting are reviewed and filed with the Ministry.
FACTS AND FIGURES:
- 20 km of watermains
- 335.6 ha of land + 9.1 ha of area covering the water
- 1039 parcels
- 1170 connections
- 852 water meters
- 2 wells currently in use [Valleyview Station]
- 2 wells not used [Pavenham Station, and Kidd Station]
- 3 reservoirs [Pavenham Station, Telegraph Station, Ordano Station]
- 2 treatment stations [Valleyview and Pavenham (being upgraded)]
- 2 booster pumps and 1 fire pump [Ordano Station]
- 1 booster pump [Pavenham Station]
- 2 Pressure Reducing Valves [Cowichan Bay Rd and Wilmot Rd]
- 2 Pressure Zones [above and below the 47 m elevation line]
- 90 fire hydrants
- five Trustees
- five part time staff and one quarterly meter reader
- contracted services: engineering, computer services
- water treated with minor amounts of sodium hypochlorite
