‘Really smelly,’ B.C.’s Comox Valley issues sewer use warning over major leak

COMOX — Residents in B.C.’s Comox Valley are being asked not to flush toilets, use dishwashers or washing machines and to avoid showering after a “major sewer leak.”

The Comox Valley Regional District said in a statement that the leak happened Tuesday near the Comox Marina.

The “ongoing emergency” has resulted in the district asking residents in Courtenay, Comox and the K’omoks First Nation to “stop all non-essential water use” involving water that drains into the sewage system until further notice.

Area resident Steve Jones said the regional district sent out text messages and emails around noon, notifying residents about the problem.

Jones said he visited the Comox Marina, where he saw the leak coming from the pump station and flowing into the ocean at a “good rate.”

“It was really smelly. It was really bad because of the way the wind was blowing. It smelled pretty horrible,” said Jones, adding that he didn’t stay long.

Jones also posted a video of the sewage leak on his Facebook page, saying, “I think they should have at least thrown some hay bales across the creek to catch some of the solids.”

He lives in an area that isn’t connected to the city’s sewer system.

“The urban areas are connected to the central sewage system, and then if you’re outside of the boundaries, a lot of people are still on individual septic systems with a septic tank and a septic field,” said Jones.

Jones said he has to pay for all the maintenance and get his septic system pumped out occasionally, but he had no complaints on Tuesday.

“But for today, it’s a lucky day,” said Jones.

For those who can’t flush, Jones said there are some parks in the region with outhouses, or people can make a trip to “one of the wonderful restaurants that fall outside of the no-flush area.”

A fairly large amount of raw sewage was flowing into the ocean for hours, he said.

“I imagine there will be a lot of environmental monitoring in the weeks ahead,” said Jones.

The district said people should not be harvesting shellfish or other marine resources from the area affected by the spill.

There is no impact on the safety of the drinking water supply.

The regional district is also warning people to avoid swimming or boating in the ocean near the shoreline, as well as in the areas of Goose Spit and Comox Marina.

Engineering services general manager Kris La Rose said in the statement that stopping all use of water draining into the sewage system is helping crews in their effort to stop the leak.

“Reduction in the toilet flushes and non-essential water entering the system is helping us to complete the repairs needed and reduce the volume of wastewater spilling into the marine environment,” La Rose said.

The district said mitigation measures on the effects of the sewer leak are underway, but a number of recreation facilities had to be closed.

Those shuttered by the leak include Comox Valley’s sport centre, aquatic centre and exhibition grounds, as well as all Courtenay city park washrooms, outbuildings and field houses.

The Comox Community Centre remains open on a limited basis, although washrooms are limited and showers have been shut off.

Jones said there will be large tides in the middle of June, and hopefully they will help to flush out the waste.

“The sewage systems are something we kind of take for granted, and these things are sometimes a good reminder for people of being prepared,” said Jones.

“Because if there’s a big earthquake or other natural disasters, we might not have these central services for some period of time, so hopefully they get this one fixed pretty quickly,” he added.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2026.

The Canadian Press