Water & Sewers

Safe, fresh and clean drinking water and reliable sanitary sewer services to Burnaby citizens

We operate and maintain 723 km of water mains, 3,580 hydrants, and 36,780 water services. This complex network of underground pipes brings water from the Capilano and Seymour reservoirs to our taps. Our underground infrastructure also ensures that stormwater and wastewater go where they need to go.

While we have an abundant water supply, every one of us is responsible for conserving it and using it wisely.

Explore our services and initiatives below.

Questions and answers

You will find answers to most of your questions below. If you need further assistance, you can call the Engineering Department at 604-294-7221.

Water

Call emergency dispatch at 604-294-7200 for help.

You may find your tap water cloudy during rainstorms, routine maintenance when water mains are flushed out or when fire hydrants in your neighbourhood have been used. Try running the cold taps in the house for a few minutes to clear the clouding or discolouration. If the water is still cloudy, call emergency dispatch at 604-294-7200.

Learn more about water pressure.

Learn more about the current watering restrictions.

There may be some exemptions that apply to you. Call 604-294-7460 for more details.

To report lawn watering or other water use violations per Metro Vancouver's drinking water conservation plan, call the Water Conservation Officers at 604-293-6528 or email [email protected]. When reporting, keep the following details handy:

  • address
  • date(s) and time(s) of the observed violation
  • location of watering (e.g. front lawn)
  • your name and contact details

If it's an emergency, such as a broken or leaking water line, call emergency dispatch at 604-294-7200.

If it can wait, call Operations at 604-294-7221.

If you're working on plumbing and need to turn the water off, locate the main water shut-off in your building.

If you're preparing for demolition, you must pay a demolition damage deposit before shutting off the water. Call 604-294-7460 for more details.

Call 604-294-7460 for help.

Call 604-294-7460 for application and approval.

Call the Water Division at 604-294-7221 for help.

If you need information for engineering design purposes (for example, fire sprinkler design), call 604-294-7460 and ask for the senior operations engineer.

Contact the building department to book an inspection and have the inspector call the Water Division.

This doesn't apply to single-family dwellings.

Sewers

As a property owner, take all the actions you can. Try using a plunger to clear any minor clogging or plugging. If the plunger fails, check if the sewer line is blocked or damaged. You may need the help of a plumber to do this.

If the plumber is unsuccessful in clearing the line to the main, call emergency dispatch at 604-294-7200 for help.

Call emergency dispatch at 604-294-7200 for immediate attention.

Is there a fuel-like smell? If you need immediate attention, call the emergency dispatch at 604-294-7200.

If it can wait, call 604-294-7460 for a site visit.

If it's an emergency, call the emergency dispatch at 604-294-7200.

If it can wait, call us at 604-294-7460 for a site visit.

Visit the Service Connection Lowering section on our engineering permits page. If approved, you must submit the service connection adjustment application, a copy of the slab elevation and survey certificate and a fee of $250.

It will take between 4-6 weeks to complete the job after we receive the payment. Call 604-294-7460 for more details.

If you're the registered property owner, you can visit the Engineering Department. We can also mail or fax you the details. If you're not the registered owner, you can still get the information for a fee. We can't give out this information over the phone unless it's an emergency. Call 604-294-7460 for more details.

Call the Engineering Department (general enquiries) at 604-294-7460 and our staff will take a look.

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