Comox Valley Sewer Conveyance Project

The CVRD corresponded to Lazo Hill residents in a letter emailed January 5, 2023 in response to a bulletin prepared by a group known as Save Quadra Sands Aquifer. The bulletin makes claim that the CVRD chose to drill into the aquifer because it is the cheapest option, prioritizing cost over public safety and that expert consultants identified hydrofracture as a risk during pipe installation.

The situation merited acknowledgement with Lazo Hill residents of the bulletin and to take the opportunity to reaffirm the rationale in choosing the tunneling methodology and design for the conveyance project, and to share detailed information about the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) installation through Lazo Hill.

To view the letter to residents, visit Letter to Lazo Hill Residents.

For more information regarding aquifer protection and leak detection, visit the FAQs.

In 2018, the CVRD started work on a Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) for the Comox Valley Sewer System to ensure our system will continue to operate safely and grow with our community. The LWMP identified a preferred conveyance route for new/upgraded sewer pipes and pump stations, which was approved by the Comox Valley Sewage Commission in February 2021.

The final project scope was confirmed after six months of further review/assessment, which was completed after the successful Alternate Approval Process in summer 2021. This additional assessment led to some updates from the original route presented, including:

• Cut-and-cover (trenching) at Comox Hill: The traditional trenching method has been selected rather than tunneling. This will reduce risk while meeting long-term operational goals.
• New Courtenay Pump Station: A new pump station would be more cost efficient in the long-term and allow the CVRD to move it away from the K’ómoks Estuary, reducing operational and environmental risk.
• Gravity line tunneled at Lazo Hill: The pipe route will still be tunneled at Lazo Hill, and the final route selected allows a gravity flow – reducing the already-very low risk of a leak and reducing ongoing operational costs.

The approved scope allowed the project to move into the final design and tendering stages.

To learn more about how the chosen route was selected, visit the LWMP website and click the Public Engagement and the Key Milestones Report drop-down menu.

In November, the CVRD shared a project update with the community – preparing residents for construction starting next summer and providing more detailed information on construction impacts and costs.

A report summarizing the community input is available now.

Read Report Here(External link).

Didn't have the opportunity to attend? View poster boards from the in-person open houses or watch a video of the Zoom Webinar held on November 14.

In June/July 2022, we asked stakeholders, community groups and service providers for input on traffic management planning during the Comox Valley Sewer Conveyance Project. The project will provide a critical update to sewer infrastructure that will remove an urgent environmental risk – but we recognize it will also be highly disruptive along an already-busy traffic corridor and are committed to engaging with the community to reduce impacts where possible.

The feedback provided has helped the project team better understand how the area along Comox Road, Comox Hill and routes in/through downtown Comox are currently used, what management measures would be most helpful and what the biggest concerns are about disruption. Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide input – the feedback will inform the traffic management strategy which will be shared with the community later this fall.

The summary report about this community engagement is now available here.

Watch for more information soon about community information sessions in November, that will provide updates about construction planning and the traffic management strategy to be implemented.

In March 2021, the CVRD hosted a webinar for residents within the proposed tunneling area in Area B (Lazo area). The online session provided additional information about the groundwater monitoring and assessment work that has been completed to date, and the further planning that will be done before construction starts on the new sewer conveyance route, selected by the Sewage Commission in February. The project team responded to a number of questions from residents about potential impacts to their property, protection measures that are being planned, and other planning details.

The information is now posted for anyone who was unable to attend:

• Video of the session is now posted the at ConnectCVRD LWMP Page - you can find it in the videos section in the righthand menu or by clicking here.
• While many questions were addressed during the 1.5 hour session, there were a few that required follow up. Those questions, along with the responses, are now posted in the FAQ section of the LWMP Connect CVRD page located in the right-hand menu bar, or click here.

Any further questions? Share them here in the Questions tab.