Water supply systems in British Columbia were the youngest in the country in 2007. The average age of this asset has dropped steadily since 1981 in response to large investments, especially in recent years. The average age in 1981 hit its highest point ever at 20.1 years. It then dropped steadily to reach 11.4 years in 2007, the youngest age of any type of public asset in any province. Water supply systems accounted for 11% of all public asset stock in the province.
As a percentage of estimated useful life, the provincial rate has dropped considerably since 1990. In that year, both the provincial and national numbers stood at 44%. By 2007, water supply systems in British Columbia had reached only 31% of their estimated useful life, while the national rate had dropped to 40%, opening a gap of 11 percentage points.