Water Pressure Changes

Learn what to do when you have water pressure issues in your home

Water pressure is affected by gravity from higher elevation reservoirs. The city is divided into pressure zones based on elevation to maintain reasonable water pressures.

Burnaby has 4 water pump stations, 4 water reservoirs and 21 pressure reducing valve stations to control and regulate water pressure for residents and fighting fires.

The water system is designed with redundancy, meaning the loss of any one source will not, in most cases, impact the water supply in a pressure zone.

Water pressure problems in your home

You may face 3 common water pressure problems:

Heavy water use—lawn watering, a broken water main, an active fire hydrant, etc.—may cause temporary low pressure. If the problem doesn't go away, it may mean there's a problem with your plumbing or pressure reducing valve. Hire a plumber or request a City staff member to check the water supply coming into your property.

A malfunctioning pressure reducing valve may cause high water pressure. Hire a plumber or request a City staff member to check the water supply coming into your property.

If one or more of your taps have little or no water, you may have a plumbing problem. Call a plumber for help.

If your house is without water (but not your neighbours') it may be either an internal plumbing issue or a City issue. Hire a plumber or ask to have a City staff member investigate.

If you and your neighbours are without water with no shut-off notification from the City, a broken water main may be the problem.

Need help?

Engineering Dispatch
Emergency and after hours

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