Sidney completes program to deliver safe drinking water in case of disaster

The Town of Sidney has completed its Disaster Water Supply Program, and is now able to deliver safe drinking water in the event of a disaster.

It is one of the first municipalities in the Capital Regional District (CRD) to do so.

Over the past two years, Sidney has built a network to transport, store and distribute emergency drinking water from a secondary source, the Town said in a release.

The Sidney Fire Department led the project, which included an acquisition of a water tanker truck and the installation of three storage containers to serve as Community Points of Distribution.

The tankers will be able to access water from the CRD’s seismically resilient blue hydrants, and deliver it to residents and visitors if water supply to the area is disrupted.

“Access to safe drinking water is critical,” said Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith.

“Thanks to the leadership of the Sidney Fire Department, the Town is now ready to distribute water from the Capital Regional District’s seismically resilient back-up water system in an emergency, making our community a safer place to live.”

The Town said that the Community Points of Distribution have been placed in strategic locations at Rathdown Park, the Mary Winspear Centre and Philip Brethour Park.

The system was tested in October 2025, when the Town conducted an exercise with community organizations, neighbouring municipalities and local First Nations to ensure it would operate smoothly in the event of an emergency.

In April, the Town hosted an open house at the Mary Winspear Centre, giving residents the opportunity to learn how the system works.

Sidney has also released a video online demonstrating how the emergency drinking water system works and how it can be accessed if need be.

The program was funded through the BC government’s Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding Program and the BC Growing Communities Fund.