City of Courtenay Official Community Plan - 2026 update

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COURTENAY TODAY

While traditional municipal infrastructure – such as underground pipes and treatment facilities – is often hidden from public view, it's a complex system that forms a vital part of Courtenay’s urban system contributing to health, sustainability, and fiscal success of Courtenay. Examples include: • Courtenay’s water is provided by the CVRD, sourced from Comox Lake. A new water treatment facility in 2021 services Courtenay residents among others. • The City’s sewer utility infrastructure includes over 170 km of sanitary sewer mains and 8,000 individual connections. Household and business wastewater is conveyed to the Comox Valley Water Pollution Control Centre, which is operated by the CVRD. • The City’s storm drainage infrastructure includes over 167 km of gravity mains, approximately 650 culverts, and over 7,000 service connections. In addition, there are over 45 km of City-maintained drainage ditches, 22 public storm ponds and 18 private storm ponds. Storm drainage from public and private land in the City drains into the Puntledge River, Tsolum River, Courtenay River, K'ómoks Estuary as well as Millard-Piercy Creek, Morrison Creek, Little River, Portuguese Creek, and Brooklyn Creek watersheds. • Solid waste curbside collection from lower density urban residential areas includes garbage, recycling, and organic waste. Additional recyclable materials can also be brought to the private recycling depot located within Courtenay, or taken to the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre (CVWMC) in Cumberland. Higher density multi-residential homes and businesses

arrange for their own waste collection services through private haulers. • A regional organics composting facility has been operating in Campbell River servicing the Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) area since 2023. Other waste streams may be disposed of at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre (CVWM) landfill, or separated for recycling like metal, clean wood and drywall. The service reports that in 2024, industrial, commercial, institutional, and multi-residential garbage accounted for 53% of the 37,800 tonnes of waste brought to the landfill, construction and demolition waste accounted for 28%, curbside garbage collected from residents (other than multi-residential) accounted for 18%, with the remaining 1% coming from other sources. Despite this infrastructure asset portfolio, servicing is constrained in a number of areas throughout the community, particularly of water, sewer and stormwater management infrastructure, limiting the ability to service growth. Distributing water, treating wastewater, and collecting and treating solid waste all require energy efficient management. Under status quo (i.e., unchanged) management practices, this infrastructure in Courtenay is threatened by climate change impacts. For example, projected decreases in summer precipitation and winter snowfall may reduce water supplies in future summer months. Similarly, increasing risks of flooding, storm surges, saltwater intrusion, extended drought conditions, and more frequent and severe winter storms and spring and fall rainfall events will add strain and threaten municipal infrastructure systems. energy demand will continue to grow. Furthermore, like in all cities, the reliable functioning of this complex network of

PART C Thematic Policies