Douglas Hill Water System

Douglas Hill Water System

The Douglas Hill Water System services the Douglas Hill and Jim's Crescent subdivisions, located south of Cowichan Bay in area C and D.  The water system services 138 residential properties.

Source, Treatment and Distribution


The water source consists of two groundwater wells.  The water receives chlorine disinfection before entering into the 454 m3  water reservoir and pumped to the distribution system on demand from the customers. 

Critical equipment is monitored 24-hours a day for malfunctions, such as high or low chlorine levels or pump failures; if such an abnormality occurs, an alarm is immediately send to the on-duty pager to alert CVRD-staff for quick response.

Water Quality Testing



Douglas Hill water system is sampled, at a minimum, once a week.  The following table shows the sampling frequency and parameters tested for the water system:

 Frequency Parameter Tested Laboratory
Weekly Bacterial (E.Coli and Total Coliforms) Samples are submitted to the Island Health Authority for testing by a provincial laboratory
Annual  Full spectrum analysis based on the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines. Sampling of the source and tap water is alternated each year.  ALS Environmental
   
Testing results can be found in the Annual Water Report completed each year.




Fee Structure

Douglas Hill water system is a fully metered water system meaning each connection has a water meter that records water consumption. Water meters are read every three months and customers are charged according to their consumption and based on the rates set out in the inclined block rate table (see below for details)

Annual Charges (2018 Rates)


Billing Period Meter Reading Date User Fees*
minimum payment (up to 150m3)		  Parcel Tax**
Minimum Annual Fee 
(User Fee and Parcel)
October 15-January 14 January 15 $90.00  $390.50 $750.50
 January 15-April 14
 April 15 $90.00 
 April 15 - July 14  July 15 $90.00 
July 15 - October 14  October 15  $90.00

*User Fees are mailed out to each customers on the billing date stated above.
**Parcel Tax is charged once a year and is incorporated into the property tax for each customer.
   BC Assessment charges a 5.25% administrative fee which is included in this amount.



Inclined Block Rate Table

 User Fees
 Water Use (per billing period)  Charge
 0-150 m3  $90.00
 151-225 m3  $90.00 + $1.00 per m3 over 150m3
 226-300 m3   $165.00 + $1.50 per m3 over 225m3
 over 300 m3
 $277.50 + $2.25 per m3 over 300m3 

High Consumption Due​ to Undetected Leaks


User charges may be adjusted where an undetected leak on your property has resulted in water consumption greatly exceeding your normal consumption (for the billing period) and there is no indication that water was knowingly allowed to run to waste.  A minimum of 15 years must have passed before a subsequent forgiveness request will be granted.  Subsequent leaks occurring within 15 years of the previous forgiveness approval will be eligible for a cap of $1500.00.  Written verification describing the nature of the leak and the action taken to repair the problem must be received by the Manager before the forgiveness will be granted.