Projects

What is the Universal Water Metering Project?
The Universal Water Metering Project is a municipality‑wide project to install a new water meter on every water service connection in Lions Bay. Many residents already demonstrate strong water stewardship by reducing summer consumption, repairing leaks, and using rainwater for irrigation. This project supports those efforts by providing key information that assists with conserving water, strengthening system resilience, and modernizing operations to ensure a safe and sustainable drinking water supply.

Specifically, metering will allow the municipality to better understand system demand, identify leaks, and manage water resources more effectively. Residents will also gain access to detailed consumption information and optional usage alerts.

Schedule

Meter installation is planned to start September 2026 and continue through spring 2027. Work is expected to proceed neighbourhood by neighbourhood. The schedule below is tentative and will be updated periodically on the municipal website so residents can plan around construction activities.

Water Shutdowns

When your meter is installed, water service will need to be shut off for about half a day. The contractor will provide written notice about one week in advance. After installation, water may appear cloudy for a short period; this is normal. Running a cold water tap for several minutes will clear the line.

Costs

The Universal Water Metering Project is 100% funded by the Province of British Columbia through grant funding. No direct project costs are being passed on to residents. 

Private Property Impacts

Meters will be installed on municipality property only; contractors should not need to enter private property. If access becomes necessary, the contractor will provide advance notice.

Some existing water services may be located beneath driveways, gardens, planters, or parking areas. Removal of these features may be required to complete installation.

• Driveways and parking areas will be reinstated as closely as possible to their original condition.
• Gardens and planters may not be able to be replanted.

Residents will receive a letter approximately one week before work begins on their service. If you wish to discuss the location of your service or potential impacts, please contact:

Important Information About New Water Meters and Household Plumbing

The new water meters include a check valve designed to protect the municipal water system from potential cross‑contamination. Once this check valve is installed, the plumbing inside your home becomes a closed system, meaning it is more susceptible to thermal expansion as water heats up within your pipes.

Residents are encouraged to consult a licensed plumber to confirm that their home’s plumbing system has appropriate protection, such as a diaphragm tank, thermal relief valve, or other approved device, to prevent pressure fluctuations and ensure continued safe operation.

Water Usage Data – My360 Consumer Portal

The municipality’s meter supplier, Neptune Technology Group, provides an online interface called My360 Consumer Portal. Once your meter is installed, you will be able to:

• View detailed water consumption data
• Set usage alerts
• Monitor for potential leaks

The municipality will provide instructions on how to access My360 once your meter is active.

Q&A

Please send any questions or comments regarding this project to:

Eric Villeneuve, Director of Operations 
doo@lionsbay.ca

1. Why do we need meters? 

Question: Why does the Village need meters? The Village has never run out of water and meters are not very good at detecting leaks. Is this just a means to raise taxes?

Answer: The municipality will be installing Neptune Mach10 meters which has a listed low‑flow accuracy threshold of 0.05 US gallons per minute. While this level of sensitivity may not detect extremely small flows such as a single dripping tap, it is more than sufficient to identify:

• Leaks in buried service lines that would otherwise be nearly imperceptible
• A leaking or continuously running toilet or other fixture

The metering system provides an added layer of protection by recording water use patterns, including continuous consumption during periods when demand should be zero (for example, at 3:00 a.m.). This information allows the system to flag potential leaks and notify residents accordingly. In addition, the municipality is installing flow meters at the inlet and outlet of each water pressure zone. Combined with individual residential meters, this will allow operations staff to determine whether water is being lost from the distribution system.

Water metering supports a user‑pay approach to utility billing. Under the current flat‑rate system, all households pay the same amount regardless of actual consumption, whether the household is a single occupant or a high-occupancy with high outdoor water use or a pool. Metering enables the municipality to eventually set rates based on actual water use, creating a more equitable system. Residents who use less water should see lower costs over time, while those who use more will pay proportionately. It will take time to collect sufficient consumption data to establish rate structures, but the long‑term outcome is a fair and transparent billing model aligned with individual usage. 

2. What are future maintenance and replacement costs?

Question: How will the meters outside be protected and maintained? Won't there need to be a  bypass on all meters when they need service? 

Answer: The meters will be installed in buried concrete boxes (about 18” x 30”) set flush with the ground surface and typically located 1-2 m from the edge of the road. Because most residential water services are buried at approximately 1 m below grade to protect against freezing, the contractor will install a meter setter on each service. The setter raises the meter assembly closer to the surface within the concrete box, providing easier access for future maintenance. Although adding meter setters increases the installation cost, this cost is fully covered by the provincial grant funding.

One advantage of using meter setters is realized when the meter batteries reach end of life, expected in roughly 20 years. Each setter includes valves on the inlet and outlet sides allowing the meter to be removed and replaced quickly without shutting down the entire watermain or installing a bypass. With these valves in place, a meter can typically be swapped out in two minutes or less, significantly reducing labour time, minimizing service disruption, and lowering overall municipal operating costs during future meter replacement cycles.

3. What effects will this have on my indoor plumbing?

Question: Your letter stated that residents are encouraged to consult a licensed plumber to confirm that their home’s plumbing system has appropriate protection after the meters are installed. Can you give residents some guidance as to cost of potential plumber assessments and upgrades?

Answer: Many of the houses in Lions Bay will already be a closed system, so no changes will be required. Many older homes were built with a pressure reducing valve (PRV) on the water supply, which would make the system closed, and no changes would be required as a result of the meter installation. Since 2006, the BC Building Code made it a requirement to have a PRV or backflow preventer on domestic plumbing systems under certain conditions, which means if your house was built after 2006 or you made changes to your plumbing since 2006 (such as replaced a hot water tank), then adequate protections might already be in place. Contacting a plumber to assess the plumbing system is recommended to ensure safe continued use of domestic plumbing after the meters are installed.

4. How will this affect my driveway or landscaping?

Question: Will you have to tear up my driveway or landscaping to install the meter? What will be put back?

Answer: The meter locations are planned to be placed 1 or 2m from the edge of the road. In many cases, this will not affect landscaping and the contractor will simply replant grass or put gravels back around the meter boxes. In locations where landscaping may be affected, the contractor will try and avoid as much disturbance as possible, and reinstate the landscaping as much as possible to its original condition. In some cases this may not be feasible, and staff will try and contact residents ahead of time to discuss a reinstatement plan. 

Asphalt paved driveways will be reinstated with asphalt paving. Driveways that are made with paving stones will be reinstated as closely as possible to their original condition.