People on deck looking out on lake

Water, sewer, and neighbourhood energy systems

​Our water is collected in the Capilano, Seymour, and Coquitlam reservoirs. On an average day, the water system delivers 360-million litres of high-quality water throughout the city.

Reducing water consumption, and being aware of what goes into the sewer are important parts of working towards the goal of becoming the greenest city in the world by 2020.

Our goals

  • Provide the best drinking water of any major city by 2020 (View water quality results by neighbourhood)
  • Conserve potable water, and ensure water is available at all times 
  • Protect Vancouver's waterways, and the environment 
  • Ensure we are prepared for emergencies, including major disasters
  • Develop neighbourhood-scale energy centres that use low-carbon, renewable resources to provide heat and hot water

Metro Vancouver

Many of our water regulations are set by Metro Vancouver and implemented and enforced by us.

Read about Metro Vancouver's Water Treatment and Supply initiatives 

One Water

One Water looks at the full water cycle in all its forms: drinking water, stormwater, rain water, and groundwater.

Water quality and pressure

Learn how the City and Metro Vancouver protect drinking water quality, and how we control water pressure.

How the water and sewer system works

Learn how fresh water is delivered to your home, and how the sewage system distributes wastewater and rainwater runoff to treatment plants.

Leaks, flooding, and drainage

We use a combination of drainage strategies to reduce the risk of flooding in homes, businesses, properties, and public areas.

False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU)

This system provides renewable energy for heat and hot water to buildings in the neighbourhood.

Building requirements (191.28 KB)

Find out about Vancouver's plumbing fixture and appliance standards.