Waterways
The City of Burnaby has over 60 creeks, two lakes, and a river within its geographic boundaries. Many of these waterways can be found within parks, while others may be located in residential, commercial and industrial areas. Waterways provide important habitat for salmon and other aquatic species, as well as for wildlife and birds. Protecting these areas and preserving water quality within them promotes a healthy environment.
Find out more about Burnaby waterways with our Watershed Map and Waterways Map.
In order to preserve water quality of all drainage discharging to Burnaby’s waterways, all other potential pollutants are prohibited from entering the storm system. Urban runoff often contains harmful contaminants such as oil and grease, metals and hydrocarbons.
Because good water quality is vital to public health and natural ecosystems, the province of British Columbia's Ministry of Environment has established strict water quality standards to which municipalities must conform. Substances such as lawn care products, automotive products, and household cleaning products often end up in the creeks after they are used outdoors, or after the remains of one of these products are dumped into a storm drain. Find out more on Provincial Water Quality Guidelines on the Provincial website.
City Action to Preserve Waterways:
The City of Burnaby undertakes a number of activities to protect water quality in our watersheds:
- Maintains storm pipes and waterways to ensure water flow is uninterrupted
- Conducts regular surface water sampling to monitor stream health
- Mitigates operational work to prevent impacts to streams
- Works with developers to reduce impacts to streams through sediment control and site monitoring
- Works with local Streamkeeper groups to maintain and improve stream health through community projects and education programs
- Responds to spills or discharges of pollution to storm drains and streams
Go to Protecting Your Watershed to see what you can do to help protect water quality, and learn more on Stormwater/Rainwater Management on this site.
To report a spill, contact Environmental Emergency Response.
