Construction on the new Maxwell Lake water treatment plant is officially underway on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, to provide cleaner drinking water for more than 5,500 residents. The North Salt Spring Waterworks District started work during the first week of March 2026, and the new system is expected to be finished by Spring 2027.
The project will be built by Hazelwood Construction Services with engineering support from Kerr Wood Leidal. The total cost is approximately $16.6 million, with $11.7 million funded through borrowing that was approved by residents in a 2025 referendum.
Health officials required the new plant to fix water quality issues involving chemicals that form when chlorine reacts with natural materials like leaves and wood in the lake. The system will use Dissolved Air Floatation technology to provide cleaner water and address elevated concentrations of Trihalomethanes (THMs).
On March 23, 2026, the district is mailing out voting packages for the election of two trustees who will help oversee the project. Candidates Philippe Erdmer, Steve Lam, and Jon Scott are running for the positions, and residents can cast their final votes on May 6, 2026.
