Erickson Water System

System Description and Governance

The system was first developed in 1929 by the East Creston Irrigation District, and later became the Erickson Improvement District with the amalgamation of the Erickson Irrigation District. The system was converted to a Regional District service in 2003.

In 2005 a new water treatment plant was commissioned on Arrow Creek following a referendum in which water users considered multiple options for treatment. This plant now serves the Erickson community as well as the Town of Creston.

Governance changes were implemented starting in 2022, including the establishment of an overall Water Services Committee to represent all Regional District owned water systems and convert some Water Commissions of Management to a Water Services Community Advisory Committee.

The RDCK maintains a separate office for management of the Erickson water system. This office can be reached at (250) 428-2612.

Annual Drinking Water Information

• Erickson Water System 2025 Annual Drinking Water Information Brochure
• Erickson Water System 2025 Annual Potability Letter (Bacteriological/Chemistry)

Size and Number of Connections

The system services 655 active connections and is the largest of the water systems managed by the Regional District.

Location

The system is located in Erickson just outside the eastern border of Creston, crossing the boundary of RDCK Electoral Areas B and C.

Source

The Erickson Water System derives source water from Arrow Creek, which is classified as a Community Watershed. The creek has benefited for several years from an ongoing water quality monitoring program. Historic water quality data for Arrow Creek indicate that the water quality falls within acceptable levels identified in the Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines. Arrow Creek is susceptible to low flows during drought years, which could impact drinking water supply during high water demands.

Planning & Technical Studies

2025 – Creston Valley Alternate Water Supply Feasibility Study

In June 2025, the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) completed the Creston Valley Alternate Water Supply Feasibility Study. At present, highly treated drinking water sourced from Arrow Creek is used to irrigate agricultural lands in the Creston Valley. The study evaluated the technical, financial, regulatory, and governance feasibility of developing a separate irrigation-only water supply sourced from the Kootenay River, together with associated pumping, distribution and storage infrastructure intended to serve agricultural users while improving long-term water supply resilience and reducing demand on the sensitive Goat River watershed.

Funding for this project was received through the Agricultural Water Infrastructure Program, which is funded by the Government of BC through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC.

The objectives of the project were as follows:

• Define water supply areas currently at risk and identify locations that may require a new or supplemental water supply in the near future.
• Identify interested parties, including water purveyors and First Nations governments, with interests and rights within each area of interest.
• Summarize existing agricultural land uses and assess how agriculture within the study area could evolve in response to changes in precipitation patterns, hydrologic regimes, market forces, and emerging food production trends. These findings were used to establish future condition scenarios that form the basis for predictive agricultural water demand.
• Explore opportunities to centralize agricultural water supply from the Kootenay River to reduce pressure on over-allocated watersheds and other at-risk supply areas.
• Identify potential infrastructure requirements, including intake works, treatment, storage, and distribution systems associated with a proposed Kootenay River water supply. The study evaluated potential infrastructure configurations and developed high-level Class-D capital cost estimates for each option.
• Assess agricultural potential and evaluate the cost-benefit relationship associated with improved water supply availability and reliability.

The feasibility assessment examined the extent to which a separate agricultural irrigation supply could reduce peak seasonal demand pressures on the Erickson Water System, support defined service levels, and enhance overall system resiliency. Consideration was also given to long-term drought resilience, hydrologic variability, and the implications of climate-driven changes in snowpack, runoff timing, and seasonal demand patterns.

From an asset management perspective, the study provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating long-term infrastructure investment options, financial sustainability, and service reliability. It identifies key risks, assumptions, and implementation considerations that would inform any future advancement beyond the feasibility stage.

The study establishes a technical and financial foundation to support future Board decision-making. Any advancement beyond feasibility would require further Board direction, detailed design, funding approvals, regulatory review, and public consultation.

Final reports and supporting documents are available below:

• Final Report
• Proposed Agricultural Water Supply Infrastructure – Routing Map

The map provides conceptual high-level routing for proposed intake and water transmission infrastructure needed to supply water over a large area of the Creston Valley. Included on this map are estimated maximum day water demands for agriculture derived from a full build-out scenario for agricultural use.

• Current points of groundwater and surface water diversion and licence status in the Creston Valley – Map
• Public and Stakeholder Presentation

2019 Agriculture Water Demand Study

Completed in 2019, this study evaluated irrigation demand patterns and long-term agricultural water demand projections within the Erickson Water Service Area. The study assessed historic seasonal usage trends, peak demand conditions, and projected agricultural growth scenarios. Findings identified increasing seasonal demand pressures during summer peak irrigation periods and informed subsequent supply planning work, including the 2025 feasibility study.

• Final Report

Treatment

The treatment process includes coarse screening, settling and fine screening for turbidity reduction in two Arrow Creek intake settling ponds, membrane filtration for physical removal of microbiological components, and ultraviolet light and chlorination disinfection of bacteria and viruses. A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) unit allows for remote plant monitoring and operation.

Water Quality Monitoring

• 2024 Annual Report of Monitoring (Erickson / Arrow Creek)

Storage

Two enclosed reservoirs constructed in 2017 provides storage for the Erickson system for fire fighting and additional water during peak demand periods.

Distribution System

Eleven (11) kilometres of mainline provides drinking water to residents of the Erickson community and the Town of Creston. Several kilometers of the pipeline, originally constructed in 1929, were replaced in a multi-phased project beginning in 2008 and completed in 2018. The distribution system was originally designed to operate as a flume and not as a pressurized system; the mainline replacement reduced system leakage by over 50%.  The Erickson distribution system has 32.6 km of PVC, asbestos cement and steel pipe.  A few pipes date back to 1929 and most pipes were installed in the 1960s and 1970s.

Fire-Fighting

Storage and pressure in the Erickson system meets standardized requirements for fire protection in some areas. For more information contact your subscribing insurance provider.

Significant Issues

The Arrow Creek Mainline project addressed a significant issue in the Erickson Water System. However, there still remains asbestos concrete and steel watermains in the distribution system that are at or nearing end-of-life which need to be replaced. The distribution system pipes can also be considered under-sized resulting in lower pressures for some customers during high water demands.

Water System Renewal and Meter Implementation

More than $8.2 million in capital improvements are planned for the Erickson Water System over the next five years. These investments include replacement of aging asbestos cement distribution piping and steel watermains, as well as implementation of universal water metering—installing water meters on all properties connected to the Erickson Water System.

Water metering is being implemented in two phases. Phase 1 of the Erickson Universal Water Metering Project is currently underway, with Phase 2 scheduled to begin in spring 2026.

Learn more about the Erickson Water System Metering Project here: https://engage.rdck.ca/projects/erickson-water-system-phase-1-metering-project/

Learn more about system challenges, state of the infrastructure and asset management and rate setting here.

Asset Management Planning

An Asset Management Plan is complete and updated annually. The Asset Management Plan identifies required asset replacements over a 25 year and 100 year period and identifies annual contributions to water system reserves required to fund the replacements.

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