The Cleaner, Greener, More Affordable Water Cooler for Victoria

Victoria’s history began with an expedition in 1842 led by Sir James Douglas. They founded a trading post at Fort Victoria beside the Camosak Harbour, hoping for an abundant water supply. However, the area failed to deliver. Residents had to rely on Spring Hill and Harris Pond and transport Victoria drinking water to the fort in barrels. Between 1863 to 1875, the city constructed the Coe-Martin pipeline to accommodate new hopefuls that arrived during the gold rush. As the city continued to grow over the next century, Victoria sourced water from the Elk Lake and Beaver Lake Reservoir and later from the Sooke Lake and Humpback Reservoir.

Today, Victoria water comes from Sooke, Goldstream, and Leech Lakes. The CRD Wastewater Treatment program manages Victoria water treatment. Although lead does not naturally occur in Victoria drinking water, pipes and fixtures from private plumbing can cause leaching. According to a Greater Victoria Water Quality Annual Report, lead measurements of water samples do fall below the recommended guidelines of 0.005 mg/L concentration. But, older homes are especially susceptible to lead leaching that impacts Victoria water quality. The Capital Regional District (CRD) also told residents that adjustments to chlorine levels during the water disinfection process may cause stronger than usual odours in Victoria drinking water.