Postponed Infrastructure & safety

Water pipe renewals

Town staff wrote in November 2025 that water reserve savings are too low, so some needed water pipe renewals have been put off.

Amount
Not stated
Got
$0
Where it stands
To future years. Staff, Nov 2025: water reserve savings are too low, so required renewals were deferred.

What it is

The Town runs its own water system. It has about 108 km of water mains. About 27 km are asbestos-cement pipe, an older type of pipe made of cement mixed with asbestos fibres. Staff say some of it has less than 15 years of life left.

In November 2025, staff wrote that yearly savings put into the Water Infrastructure Reserve are too low for the replacement work needed. They said required water renewals "have been deferred to future years."

Staff wrote this in a planning sheet about a request from the Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Club to help pay for its irrigation system. Staff advised against lending water reserve money for that. The records do not list which water projects were put off.

What happened

  1. November 12, 2025Staff write that water reserve contributions are too low and some renewals have been deferred.
  2. December 17, 2025Council gives early approval to replace the Seacrest Place asbestos-cement water main in 2026, at $900,000 (unanimous).
  3. April 1, 2026The 2026–2030 Financial Plan plans the Eaglecrest Drive water main ($1,113,000) for 2028, paid from Eaglecrest land sales.
  4. June 24, 2026Staff recommend paying for the Eaglecrest Drive water main and storm main from asset management reserves instead of Eaglecrest land sales. Council adopts this change on July 15.
  5. June 29, 2026Council approves applying for a federal grant for the Eaglecrest Drive water main and storm main, total $2,863,000 (unanimous).
  6. September 9, 2026Staff report that construction on Seacrest Place (310 m of pipe) is expected to start in the third quarter of 2026. Staff ask Council to move $13,000 to finish the design for Berwick Road and Crescent Road East, for construction planned in 2027.

Why it matters

  • Water work is paid from the Town's separate water fund, which comes from water user fees and a yearly water parcel tax. None of the Eaglecrest purchase money came from the water fund.
  • The 2026–2030 Financial Plan says replacement costs in 2026 are higher than what is added to the water reserve that year.
  • The plan aims to replace over $1 million of asbestos-cement water main every year for 10 years.
  • A Water Master Plan, including an assessment of the asbestos-cement pipes, is expected to go to Council in early 2027.
  • Staff also wrote that the Town's Asset Replacement Reserve is underfunded for buildings, drainage, fleet and roads.

Sources

Last checked September 18, 2026. Report a mistake.