Find your water or sewer connection

We generally don't track where the water and sewer pipes go on your private property, but our records can help you estimate their location.

Before you dig

Contact BC One Call  to find out where underground gas lines and other utilities are located.

It's important to know where underground pipes are located before you excavate to fix a leaking water pipe or plugged sewer pipe, plant a tree, or do construction.

Digging around water and sewer lines may also impact gas lines, causing property damage and risking personal safety.

Water line and shut-off valve

To access your water connection, The lid for water shut-off valves is 10 cm wide and made of iron.look for a 10 cm-wide (4 inch) circular iron lid stamped with the letters VWW. This iron cap covers the access pipe to your water shut-off valve (also called a curb stop valve). The valve and your water service line are anywhere from 0.6 to 1.5 m below street level.

Stand on the City sidewalk and face your house. A complete image of the shut-off valve, including the lid and the access pipe.The lid will be within 1 m (3 feet) from the edge of the sidewalk. The lid could be buried under grass or plants, so poke the ground with a screwdriver or garden trowel until you strike the lid.

If you need more specific position measurements, phone 3-1-1.

Get help finding your water line

Get a City crew to locate your water line (fees apply)

Sewer line, clean out, and sump

To access your sewer line, look for a clean out or sump.

A clean out is a pipe with a cap made of steel or green, white, or black plastic. The pipe is located at either one of the following:

  1. The base of the main sewer drain pipe (or plumbing stack) inside or outside your home
  2. The front property line

A sump is a circular or square concrete chamber that collects rainwater from gutters and drain tiles before sending it to the sewer. Sumps can be in your basement, crawl space, or yard.

The depth of sewer lines at the property line is typically 1.5 m (5 feet) below street level, although this varies by property.

Get help finding your front property line

If you excavate near the property line, consult with a surveyor to confirm your property line location.

There are two ways to estimate where your front property line is:

  1. Face your property from the street
    • Your property line should be at the front fence or retaining wall, even when the fence or wall is shared by neighbours.
  2. Use VanMap Viewer
    • In the search box, type the address and press enter.
    • In the toolbar, select the basemap gallery icon and choose an imagery basemap.
    • In the toolbar, select the data icon, search for Sewer Service Line, and click Add.
    • In the toolbar, select the measurement icon and then the distance measurement.
    • On the map, click where you want to start measuring. Double-click where you want to stop.
    • Get the measurement result.

Related tasks

Turn your water service on and off

We can turn your water supply on or off for a fee. You can also borrow a water-line shut-off key for up to 48 hours to do it yourself.

Use a water shut off key

Guide to turning off the water supply to your residence with a water shut off key.

Fix leaks, floods, and sewage problems

Find out how to track down the source of water leaks, flooding, or drainage problems and when to call the City or an independent plumber.