COQUITLAM, B.C., June 13, 2023 – Thirsty in Coquitlam? Skip the bottled water and filters and enjoy top quality drinking water right from the tap.
According to an annual report on the City’s drinking water, Coquitlam’s diligent and proactive monitoring and maintenance of its water system is continuing to produce safe, clean and excellent quality drinking water.
As a water supplier, the City is required to report on its water quality each year to the public and local health authority. The 2022 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report can be found at coquitlam.ca/water.
Going Above and Beyond the Requirements
Coquitlam’s robust Drinking Water Monitoring Program goes well beyond the minimum testing requirements. For example, although the City is required to collect and analyze 96 water samples per month, it averaged 160 samples per month in 2022, for a total of 1,922 over the year.
Water collected from 30 dedicated sampling stations throughout the community is tested for a variety of factors in Metro Vancouver’s laboratory, including bacteria, physical characteristics like temperature and turbidity (cloudiness), and chemical parameters including chlorine, metals and pH levels. Additional tests for odour and taste are also carried out.
Coquitlam’s samples once again met or exceeded all provincial and federal requirements in 2022. Of the 1,922 samples, only two tested positive for non-fecal coliform bacteria – far below the allowable 10 per cent of samples per month – and none for E. coli.
Not surprisingly, the City receives few complaints about its water quality. In 2022, 58 complaints were recorded, mostly due to discolouration, odour or taste issues and usually cleared within two hours by running the faucet.
Maintenance Helps Maintain Water Quality
Year-round maintenance helps keep Coquitlam’s water quality high, including:
- Flushing of one-third of the City’s water mains each year on a rotating basis, covering more than 93 kilometres in 2022;
- A tri-annual reservoir cleaning program, with Hoy Creek reservoir cleaned in 2022;
- Maintaining chlorine levels to prevent bacteria regrowth in the system; and
- Monitoring of sections with reduced water flow, such as dead-end mains, and flushing to improve circulation and residual chlorine levels.
The City loops dead-end mains into the system whenever opportunities arise through capital projects and new development. Areas with low residual chlorine continue to reduce year after year.
Reducing Water Consumption
Whenever you flush a toilet, take a shower or water your garden, you’re using Coquitlam’s high-quality drinking water to do so.
The City encourages thoughtful, restrained water use through its Enhanced Water Conservation Strategy, which includes public education, the use of groundwater to irrigate parks, enhanced leak detection, toilet replacement rebates, other initiatives and enforcement of regional water restrictions.
Coquitlam is currently in Stage 1 of Metro Vancouver's water restrictions and any watering not compliant could result in a $150 to $500 fine under the Drinking Water Conservation Plan Bylaw No. 4838, 2018. For tips on saving water and to learn about the current Metro Vancouver water restrictions, go to coquitlam.ca/waterconservation.
New Meter Rates Reward Water Savers
New rates for metered water customers are part of the City’s water conservation efforts. While residential properties pay a flat user fee for their water, the City’s roughly 600 industrial, commercial and institutional properties are metered and pay according to their water consumption.
This year, Coquitlam introduced a seasonal rate that gives metered customers a financial incentive to use less water in the drier months. Rates are higher June to September and lower October to May.
The new metering rates are intended to be cost-neutral for the City, with rates aligned with what Metro Vancouver charges Coquitlam for water. More information is available at coquitlam.ca/MeteredUtility.
Where Our Drinking Water Comes From
The water flowing out of taps in Coquitlam mostly comes from Coquitlam Lake and Seymour Lake and is treated by Metro Vancouver to make it safe for drinking.
Seymour Lake’s water is filtered then disinfected using ultra violet (UV) light, while Coquitlam Lake’s water is treated by both ozone and UV light. For both sites, Metro Vancouver also uses chlorine as a secondary disinfectant, and adjusts pH levels to make the water more alkaline and less acidic, to reduce corrosion of pipes.
Learn More About Coquitlam’s Water System
The City of Coquitlam has developed an interactive guided story to show how safe, clean and reliable drinking water gets from the watershed to homes in our community.
Learn more about our Water System at coquitlam.ca/water. The webpage also includes a link to a map and app showing drinking water fountains in Coquitlam and around Metro Vancouver.
Media Contact
Jonathan Helmus
Director, Utilities
epw@coquitlam.ca
604-927-3500