Connect to RDN Water Service
In British Columbia, a Regional District is an unincorporated, rural, municipal jurisdiction where services like water supply and sewer collection are not necessarily provided to every property. Streetlights and sidewalks are not mandatory for most developments. For each electoral area within the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) there is a guidance document for decision-making, called an Official Community Plan (OCP). Updated every ten years or so, these plans are put together with community input so that certain areas are designated as village centers (where higher density is present), and the remaining rural areas are where open spaces and rural integrity are encouraged.
Most of the existing RDN Water Services were initiated by developers, who installed water supply wells, watermains, and pump stations at their expense. The RDN’s role is to operate and maintain the services already in place.
To join a water service area and get a water connection, please submit a letter or email to the Manager of Water Services. Generally speaking, a request may be supported as follows:
- Where the property is located within a designated village center in the OCP; or
- For coastal properties, where the existing water supply has failed; the domestic water supply is proven to be at risk; an ensuing health problem is evident; and there are no reasonable alternative means of resolving the water supply problem through on-site measures.
Notwithstanding the above, a water connection outside of the OCP village centers is not intended to allow additional development or density on the property. Additionally, the property owner would be responsible for the entire costs of designing and installing the watermain infrastructure to the property frontage.
Hundreds of independent, privately-owned water systems (strata communities, mobile home parks, campgrounds, etc.) exist within the RDN (listed here). They normally operate under a permit from the provincial Ministry of Health. If you have questions about whether the RDN can help operate, or even acquire your small water system, please contact the Manager of Water Services at 250-390-6560, or email rcu [at] rdn.bc.ca.
