Infographic of where a cooling tower, building water treatment, municipal water supply, rainwater harvesting, and decorative fountain are featured near a building

Get a water systems operating permit

You can generally get an operating permit in less than 5 minutes. Review how we are improving permitting

Get by-law details

Peer-reviewed article about cooling tower results (2021)
Summary of water safety and efficiency requirements (131 KB)
Vancouver Building By-law
(updated to July 1, 2024)
Background resources on Legionella

To more effectively respond to incidents, mitigate health risks by pathogens (such as Legionella pneumophila), and ensure compliance with updated standards, operating permits help us and health authorities track new and existing:

Cooling towers
Decorative water features
Systems treating drinking water (building water treatment systems)
Systems using rainwater (non-potable water systems)

Looking for an electrical annual permit? Review the steps and get an electrical annual permit

Ready to get your permit?

Review what systems require an operating permit.
Review our guide on how to use the online permit system for operating permits (2 MB).
Register for an online account (If you don't have an account.).
Submit your application.
Report water quality results as required. For Legionella pneumophila and E. coli, review laboratory requirements and sampling guidelines (under Water quality testing and reporting).
Keep your operating permit up-to-date. Use the online system for annual permit renewal and updating equipment status.

For additional information, email: operatingpermit@vancouver.ca or phone: 604-873-7549.

Get, renew, or access permit

Search for a permit Find issued operating permits

Fees
Annual operating permit fee: $201

Pay fee by:
- Credit card online
- Cheque in-person or by mail
Cheque should be made out to the City of Vancouver. Mail to: Development and Building Services Centre, 515 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4A8

A $114 fee is applied to permits not renewed on time or for requested changes to the permit holder.

Types of operating permits

Cooling towers
All new and existing cooling towers and evaporative condensers require:
- An operating permit
- A maintenance log (72 KB)
- Offline cleaning and disinfection, at minimum, once every calendar year and at any start-up
- A Legionella pneumophila culture test at system start-up and every calendar month of operation
- Action when a Legionella pneumophila result is 10 or more CFU (colony forming units) per millilitre
  Refer to the cooling tower response flowchart (71 KB)
Map of registered cooling towers

New system requirements

Systems installed after January 1, 2021, must:
- Include a water treatment system
- Have a maintenance contract for a minimum of one year
- Incorporate a drift eliminator
- Discharge away from the building (minimum setbacks are prescribed)
- Be provided with access for maintenance and testing
- Include a sampling port
Sewer credits

By design, a cooling tower evaporates water, and you may be eligible for reduced sewer utility charges. Details are in Sewer and Watercourse By-law 8093, sections 7.7 and 7.8. For questions, contact billing.utilities@vancouver.ca.

Learn more about sewer rates and projected rate increases (327 KB)

Reference documents
- Vancouver Plumbing By-law:
  - Division B, Article 2.2.11.6 (Notes)
  - Division A, Article 1.4.1.2 (Notes)
- Vancouver Building By-law:
  - Division B, Article 6.3.2.15 (Notes)
- US CDC guidance on cooling towers
- UK technical guidance on cooling towers
- 2021 Vancouver cooling tower results
Decorative water features
All new and existing indoor and outdoor decorative water features require:
- An operating permit
- A maintenance log (72 KB)
- Offline cleaning and disinfection, at minimum, once every calendar year and after any start-up, following a shut down for 3 or more days
- A health advisory that the feature is not intended for human access
- Legionella pneumophila testing and reporting every two calendar months of operation
- Action when a Legionella pneumophila result is 10 or more CFU (colony forming units) per millilitre
  Refer to the decorative water feature response flowchart (91 KB)
Map of registered decorative water features

Exemptions

There are exemptions, such as systems for single-family homes and duplexes. Fish ponds and natural bodies of water are also exempt.

Systems that are regulated under the BC Pool Regulation do not require a City operating permit. Those systems are inspected by Vancouver Coastal Health .

Reference documents
- Vancouver Plumbing By-law:
  - Division B, Article 2.2.11.7 (Notes)
  - Division A, Article 1.4.1.2 (Notes)
- US CDC guidance on decorative water features
Rainwater harvesting and other alternative (non-potable) water systems
All new and existing systems must meet these water quality standards :
- Temperature less than 20°C
- Turbidity less than 10 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units)
- E. coli less than 100 CFU (colony forming units) per 100 millilitres or less than 100 MPN (most probable number) per 100 millilitres
- Legionella pneumophila less than 10 CFU per millilitre
If rainwater is collected from surfaces with vehicles, these water quality standards also apply to the treated water:
- Total suspended solids less than 20 milligrams per litre
- Benzene less than 0.005 milligrams per litre
- Toluene less than 0.024 milligrams per litre
- Ethylbenzene less than 0.0016 milligrams per litre
- Xylenes (total) less than 0.02 milligrams per litre
Refer to the water quality testing response flowchart (116 KB)

What is required

All new and existing systems require:
- An operating permit
- A maintenance log (72 KB)
- Water quality testing and reporting every two calendar months
- Cross connection control tests
- An air gap or reduced pressure backflow assembly (RPBA) to protect a potable water make-up line
Map of registered rainwater harvesting systems

New system requirements

Refer to the checklist for commissioning a new non-potable water system (74 KB)

Systems installed after January 1, 2019, must:
- Have an operating permit to get an occupancy permit
- Connect to toilets, urinals, and trap primers
- Use specified purple piping and sizing methodology (IAPMO water demand calculator )
- Include inline monitoring, sub-meters, and a sampling port
Exemptions

There are exemptions, such as systems for single-family homes and duplexes.

Reference documents
- Vancouver Plumbing By-law:
  - Division B Section 2.7 (Notes)
  - Division A, Article 1.4.1.2 (Notes)
- Water and sewer rates
- Projected rate increases for water (318 KB) and sewer (327 KB)
- US CDC guidance in other systems
Building water treatment systems
We deliver safe drinking water to buildings with multiple measures to protect water quality. If you choose to install a system to add chemicals or treat this incoming drinking water, it is important to operate and maintain your system properly.

Map of registered building water treatment systems

Review neighbourhood water quality results, such as pH

Effective June 7, 2021, Metro Vancouver has adjusted the pH and alkalinity of potable water supplied to properties in the City of Vancouver. Review details

All new and existing building water treatment systems involving potable water require:
- An operating permit
- A maintenance log (72 KB)
Exemptions

There are exemptions, such as systems for single-family homes and duplexes.

Reference documents
- Vancouver Plumbing By-law:
  - Division B, Article 2.2.10.17 (Notes)
- City of Vancouver Water Quality Annual Report (2023) (4 MB)
Once through cooling and other single pass systems
No new single pass systems, including once through cooling equipment, may be installed.

All existing once through cooling equipment, non-recirculating liquid ring pumps, and other single pass systems, unless exempted, must be disconnected from the City's water system.

Not sure if your system uses once through cooling? Learn how you can find out in our guide (2 MB).

Exemptions

Existing and emergency once through cooling equipment may be granted exemption at our discretion. Email waterbylaw@vancouver.ca for assistance.

Reference documents
- Vancouver Plumbing By-law:
  - Division B, Article 2.2.11.4 (Notes)

Resources

Water quality testing and reporting
Certain operating permits require periodic water quality testing and reporting.

Legionella pneumophila results exceeding 1,000 CFU/millilitre must be reported immediately to both the:
- Local medical health officer
  - Email: EHVC@vch.ca
- City
  - Phone: 604-873-7549
  - Email: operatingpermit@vancouver.ca
Laboratories providing Legionella pneumophila testing (134 KB) Results are supplied by laboratories in 14 days, on average.

E. coli tests (which are only required for rainwater harvesting and other alternative water systems) must be conducted by an accredited laboratory

Reference documents
EOCP certification
As of January 1, 2022, all operating permits must be associated with someone holding the EOCP Building Water System Operator certification. This can be the equipment owner or a service provider. Get additional information from the Environmental Operators Certification Program .

We also accept the ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI 12080 Standard for Legionella Water Safety and Management personnel certification. Find certified professionals in the IAPMO database .

Reference documents
- Vancouver Plumbing By-law:
  - Division C, Article 1.6.9.4 (Notes)
Legionella background info
Potable water
Legionella growth can be minimized by keeping the hot water hot, and the cold water cold. While an operating permit is not required for a building’s potable water system, there are some requirements to follow.

Hot water
- Hot water must be stored at no lower than 60 degrees Celsius (140 Fahrenheit).
- Recirculation loops must maintain hot water at no lower than 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit)
- Low flow faucets and showerheads are not required in treatment or care facilities and may be exempt from other buildings with a professional water management plan.
- Drain water heat recovery units can only supply service water heaters.
Reference documents
- Summary of water safety and efficiency requirements (195 KB)
- Vancouver Plumbing By-law, Division B:
  - Article 2.6.1.12 (Notes)
  - Article 2.2.10.6 (Notes)
- US CDC guidance on:
- HealthLink BC’s tips for residential hot tubs and pools
Guidance after a building shutdown
After a prolonged shutdown, your building's plumbing system (cold and hot water) and mechanical systems may not be safe.

Guidance is available from:
Regulatory history
Council approved the operating permit program in 2 phases:
- 2018: RTS 12782 (2.5 MB)
- 2020: RTS 13842 (6 MB)
Minor modifications have been made since.

Council has also:
- Expanded non-potable water system regulations to allow the use of storm water (RTS 15424 (756 KB)).
- Harmonised backflow preventer requirements with the national and provincial plumbing codes (RTS 15999 (49.4 KB)).
Find Council decisions
Get assistance
Assistance with the operating permit program
- Contact the Development and Building Services Centre
- Email: operatingpermit@vancouver.ca
General assistance with logging into your online account
- Email: permits@vancouver.ca
Operating permit inspectors
- Review contact details (248 KB)

Did you find what you're looking for?

Get a water systems operating permit

Get by-law details

Ready to get your permit?

Fees

Types of operating permits

Cooling towers

Decorative water features

Rainwater harvesting and other alternative (non-potable) water systems

Building water treatment systems

Once through cooling and other single pass systems

Resources

Water quality testing and reporting

EOCP certification

Legionella background info

Potable water

Guidance after a building shutdown

Regulatory history

Get assistance

Did you find what you're looking for?

Contact information, partner agencies, and website policies