The Capital Regional District has purchased 145 acres of water catchment land to prepare for Greater Victoria’s future water supply needs.
Acquiring the forested land, which is within the Cowichan Valley Regional District, was a high priority because it includes watershed catchment lands for Sooke Lake Reservoir, the primary drinking water source for Greater Victoria, the CRD said in a statement issued Friday. The new water supply area catchment land is between Shawnigan Lake and Grant Lake.
The CRD bought the land for $652,729 — approximately $4,500 per acre — from Margaret Forestry Ltd. The purchase will be funded by the Regional Water Supply Service, said the CRD.
The CRD supplies drinking water for more than 380,000 people, supporting residential, commercial, institutional, light industrial, agricultural and public safety uses across the Greater Victoria area. There are 20,500 hectares of protected water supply area including 11 dams and six reservoirs.
