COWICHAN VALLEY REGIONAL DISTRICT
SOUTH COWICHAN WATER PLAN STUDY
V19830100 : Rev B : 11 February 2009
Page 47
Table 18 Water Consumption Estimates, by Residential Unit Type and Watershed - 2008
Water Consumption by Watershed (m
3
/
yr)
Unit Type
Water Use per Unit
(
m
3
/
yr)
5
Shawnigan
Saanich Inlet
Cowichan
Total (m
3
/
yr)
Urban
600
1,358,000
343,000
1,032,000
2,732,000
Suburban
1,200
1,396,000
144,000
761,000
2,300,000
Rural
6,000
1,020,000
324,000
864,000
2,208,000
Attached
180
71,000
11,000
33,000
115,000
Total
3,845,000
821,000
2,690,000
7,355,000
4.2.6 ‘
Other’ Land Use Type Water Consumpt ion Est imates
BCAA Actual Land Use data (2008) were used to identify the total area of land in the Study Area used for
commercial, industrial, playing field, and institutional use. Present water consumption estimates for ‘other’
land use types were determined by multiplying the total land area associated with each land use type by
the corresponding water consumption per hectare rates presented in Table 19 below. This table also
presents current water consumption estimates for ‘other’ land use types, by watershed for 2008.
Table 19 Water Consumption Estimates, by ‘Other’ Land Use Type and Watershed – 2008
Total Water Consumption, by Watershed (m
3
/
yr)
Other' Land Use Type
Water Use
(
m
3
/
ha/yr)
6
Shawnigan
Saanich Inlet
Cowichan
Total (m
3
/
yr)
Commercial
7,000
127,000
78,000
80,000
285,000
Industrial
4,800
224,000
148,000
399,000
771,000
Playing Fields
6,400
259,000
39,000
678,000
977,000
Institutional
6,000
1,028,000
186,000
122,000
1,336,000
Total
1,638,000
451,000
1,279,000
3,369,000
The water consumption estimate for institutional land use in the Shawnigan watershed is substantially
higher than estimates for this use in the other two watersheds. This disparity is due to the large land area
associated with Shawnigan Lake School (a residential school north of Shawnigan Lake).
4.2.7
Present Agricul tural Water Consumpt ion Est imates
Substantial areas of land are cultivated for agriculture in Shawnigan and Cowichan watersheds, but
relatively little in Saanich Inlet. There are 3,200 ha of land in Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) in the Study
5
Brayden, G., Eng. P., Barr, L. (2002).
6
“
Cowichan Basin Water Management Plan – Water Issues”, October 2005. Westland Resource Group Inc.
