Location
Cowichan River, approximately 875 metres downstream from the Highway 1 bridges.
Timeframe
August 15 - September 15, 2025. This is during the Cowichan River's fisheries window when the lowest risk to fish is present in streams (spawning fish, eggs or alevins, or over-wintering juveniles).
Budget
The budget for this emergency work is $4,500,000.
Project led by
North Cowichan
Description
Two critical trunk mains supplying water to North Cowichan's South End and Crofton cross the Cowichan River from the Boys Road Water Treatment Facility. A third main - a Cowichan Valley Regional District sanitary force main - is also located just downstream of these two pipes. Normally buried 1–2 metres below the riverbed, these mains were exposed in June 2025 due to a scour hole that lowered the riverbed by about one metre. This erosion also exposed the south dike toe and base, prompting the need for immediate attention.
Not addressing the problem now could result in major water main breaks, and failure of the south side dike which would result in flooding to residents along Boys Road, residents on Cowichan Tribe's Reserve, the Boys Road Water Treatment Facility, and the well field.
The work will include:
- Installing/constructing isolation berms,
- Excavation within the riverbed and removal of gravel,
- Placement of gravel “cushion” on exposed pipe,
- Placement of riprap to form up and downstream sills,
- Placement of armouring to support the south side dike, and
- Restoration of all disturbed areas.
Trail closed
To ensure the safety of members of the public, a portion of the dike trail on the south side of the river is closed between the Trans-Canada Highway and the Boys Road Water Treatment Facility for the duration of this project.
Next steps
This work is the first step in the larger Boys Road Trunk Main Replacement Project, which will upgrade aging water infrastructure and improve long-term reliability for the South End and Crofton areas. Addressing the exposed trunk mains in the Cowichan River now is a critical early action to protect the existing system and lay the groundwork for future improvements planned under the full replacement project.