Bowen Island residents living in the water-sparse Eagle Cliff area are set for an anticipated infrastructure upgrade.
On Thursday, officials from local and senior levels of government gathered at municipal hall on Bowen Island to announce joint spending of $2.1 million for a project designed to secure high-quality drinking water.
The work will connect the existing Eagle Cliff water system to the Cove Bay water system, along with replacing culverts, installing new fire hydrants and service connections, and around 1,300 metres of water main to join the two systems.
Over the past couple years, the municipality has been seeking to upgrade the water supply at Eagle Cliff, where residents face recurring seasonal water shortages. The funding secured in this week’s announcement will go toward Phase 1 of a larger project, which has been costed at around $4.9 million.
As of July 31, Eagle Cliff moved to Stage 4 drinking water guidelines, which restricts garden watering to fruits and vegetables, and vehicle washing to windows, mirrors and licence plates for safety purposes. Last August, the drinking water became increasingly discoloured for weeks on end, but the municipality deemed it was still safe for consumption.
In 2017, Bowen Island received $3.9 million in funding to build a new water treatment plant in Cove Bay. That construction effort was slated to wrap up last year, but faced delays.
To fund the project, the federal government is contributing $841,000, with $701,000 from the province and $561,000 from the Bowen Island municipality. A target completion date hasn't been set yet.
Bowen Island residents value resilience and self-reliance, says Mayor Andrew Leonard, but are quickly outgrowing current infrastructure needs.
“This funding will go a long way to connect the Eagle Cliff Water System community to a sustainable water source, offsetting a significant infrastructure cost for them,” he said in a statement.
Securing safe and reliable drinking water is essential to support the growing community needs on Bowen, said Patrick Weiler, Member of Parliament for West Vancouver – Sunshine Coast – Sea to Sky Country.
“The Government of Canada will continue to invest in projects like these that contribute to building healthier, more resilient, and vibrant communities for everyone,” he said.
Apart from being its own strong community, Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang noted that Bowen Island also serves as a popular tourist destination for people looking to connect with nature.
“By connecting water systems at Eagle Cliff and Cove Bay, my ministry is helping to ensure residents and tourists have clean drinking water while also helping to preserve this beautiful island for all to enjoy,” she said.
