Mesachie Lake Water System

Mesachie Lake water system is located west of Lake Cowichan in Area F. 

The CVRD assumed responsibility for the Mesachie Lake water system, located east of Lake Cowichan in Area F, in 1969.

The system services 101 residential and commercial properties. 
Mesachie Lake Water System

Source, Treatment and Distribution

Water is pumped from a groundwater well directly into the distribution system as it fills the reservoir.  If the well is not running, water is gravity-fed from the reservoir to the distribution system. The water does not currently require any treatment.

As directed by the Island Health Authority a backup chlorination system is in place should disinfection be required. Funding has been secured by Community Works Gas Tax for replacement of the existing reservoir.

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 sent to the on-duty pager for immediate response by CVRD-staff.

Water Quality Testing

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

 FrequencyParameter TestedLaboratory
WeeklyBacterial (E. Coli and Total Coliforms)Samples are submitted to the Island Health Authority for testing by a provincial laboratory
AnnualFull spectrum analysis based on the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines. Sampling of the source and distribution is alternated each year.  Bureau Veritas

Testing results can be found in the Annual Water Report completed each year.

Fee Structure

Mesachie Lake water system is not currently a metered water system.  Customers receive user fees every six months and an annual parcel tax is levied on individual property taxes.

Annual Charges

Billing PeriodBilling DateUser Fees*
 (per billing period)
 Parcel Tax**
 (approx.)
Annual Fee 
(User Fee and Parcel tax)
January 1-June 30January 1$85.00 $353.00$493.00
July 1-December 31July 1$85.00

*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.  

Current year budget information can be found here.