Stormwater runoff is the water from rain or melting snow that is not absorbed into the ground. Stormwater Management controls the quantity and quality of the runoff that is collected from homes and businesses, reducing the risk of property flooding and protecting the health of streams.
Runoff is absorbed into soil, where it is filtered and replenishes aquifers or it gets safely transported through a system of catch basins, pipes, pump stations, ditches/streams, and discharged to the Burrard Inlet, Coquitlam, Pitt and Fraser Rivers.
Stormwater Controls for Small-Scale Residential Development
Coquitlam uses an integrated stormwater management approach to manage rainwater that runs off rooftops, driveways and other hard surfaces to prevent flooding, protect property and keep local creeks and ecosystems healthy.
The City’s current Stormwater Management Policy does not require stormwater controls for single- and two-family homes unless they create more than 500 square metres of hard surface. To address this, Coquitlam has implemented new policy for stormwater management in small scale residential developments to mitigate the impacts of densification.
Please visit our Small-Scale Residential Stormwater Management webpage for information, details, design drawings and an online form for stormwater management plans for small-scale residential development.
To learn more about what Coquitlam is doing to manage drainage throughout the City visit our Drainage webpage.
Importance
The importance of reducing stormwater runoff is essential—excessive runoff is causing erosion and degradation of water quality in stream and rivers. Below are several best practices that homeowners, builders and developers can implement to help protect our natural habitat.
View a stormwater management guide (PDF), which explains how homeowners can help control excess runoff and protect our natural watersheds.
Water Balance Express Tool
For homeowners looking to determine and possibly reduce the amount of stormwater runoff from their property, the City has partnered with the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia to develop a Water Balance express tool. This tool enables homeowners to calculate the current amount of runoff from their property and experiment with actions to try and protect our creeks and watersheds.
Land Use / Rainwater Source Control Measures
All Single-Family Lots
- 300 millimetres of topsoil in landscaped areas
- Encourage the use of permeable paving material and rain barrels
- Hard surfaces graded to landscape areas
Multi-family, Commercial, Institutional, Industrial
- 300 millimetres of topsoil in landscaped areas
- Designed to maximize stormwater volume reduction targets in applicable Integrated Watershed Management Plan’s
- Encourage the use of permeable paving material and rain barrels
- Hard surfaces graded to landscape areas
- On-site infiltration/retention trench or alternative measures
City Roadways
- 300 millimetres of topsoil in landscaped areas
- Below grade retention trench in all other locations
- Roadside surface swales in unobstructed boulevards, adjacent to parks and open spaces
Informational Video