The District of Clearwater (DOC) has announced a waterfall of funding in the amount of $2.42 million from the provincial government, via a grant which will allow the municipality to install automated water meters on all water service connections in the community.
In a May 8 press release, the DOC reports the funding is part of a $50 million provincial pilot program supporting the installation of nearly 15,000 smart water meters across 19 small, rural, and First Nations communities throughout B.C.
The Clearwater project will see approximately 830 new meters and 40 replacements installed, each equipped with advanced metering infrastructure that will provide hourly data to detect leaks, monitor water usage and support better decision-making during droughts.
“We’ve long known that we have a significant leakage problem in the Clearwater water distribution systems," Mayor Merlin Blackwell told the surgeryitaly. "Metering will help us find leaks by detecting high usage neighbourhoods or other anomalies.
"Providing safe drinking water is one of the most expensive services the district offers. Every drop we aren’t leaking into the ground means less equipment, less electricity, less cost to residents, and a lower likelihood of having to do big new water infrastructure projects that cost millions or even tens of millions.”
The work installing the meters is set to begin in February of 2026 and must be completed by March 31, 2027. The new meters will allow the district to monitor water use and identify leaks efficiently, and will eventually ensure owners are paying based on the water they actually use.
Currently Clearwater’s water usage has been assessed at more than three times the provincial average, with a large portion of that estimated to be due to undetected leaks in the old water system. The district will phase in use-based billing over several years following a public education and awareness campaign.
In the first phase, once the new meters are installed, households will view their water usage, comparing that to benchmarks without changes to their billing. In the future, there may be phased-in discounts for low water users. Full implementation of metered billing won’t begin until residents have had time to adjust and understand their own consumption patterns, according to the DOC announcement.
“This project is an investment in good data and long-term sustainability,” said CAO Byron Johnson. “Our goal isn’t to turn a profit; it’s to make the water system financially sustainable and fair over time. With full provincial funding, we can move forward without burdening ratepayers, and begin building a stronger foundation for managing this essential service into the future.”
The district information states water metering is a proven method to reduce water use by up to 30 per cent, and once the meters are installed the new metering system will enable the district and residents to manage usage more effectively. The district goal is to keep more water in local waterways like creeks, aquifers and rivers while reducing operational costs and deferring expensive infrastructure upgrades.
The District 2022 Water Conservation Plan is in alignment with the new water meter initiative, which outlines the need for better data collection, leak detection and conservation.
Approximately half of the municipalities in B.C. now have some form of residential water metering in place. The district will be providing community education during the remainder of 2025, including more about how the project will be implemented and providing further information about benefits and installation scheduling.
