City of Langley - The Place to Be

Water Supply

The City of Langley receives its water supply from the Greater Vancouver Water District originating at Coquitlam Lake located in the mountains to our north. This water is treated and transported through a maze of underground pipes crossing the Fraser River at two locations passing through the City of Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, the Township of Langley and the City of Surrey eventually supplying our city and our reservoir.

The City of Langley's reservoir, located at 200A Street and 47A Avenue, is the size of a football field. It contains 22,700,000 litres of water, enough to provide every person in the Greater Vancouver Regional District with 9 litres of water. The size of the reservoir is designed to serve our City for extended periods if there should be a watermain break anywhere. We are at the end of the line so any breaks would effectively shut us down until repairs were made.

The reservoir is equipped with an automatic shut off valve, which will close if a large earthquake takes place. This will retain the water that exists in the reservoir, which then will be available for domestic and fire fighting use. It can serve a population of 55,000, retain extra storage and provide adequate fire fighting requirements for several hours. In fact, if necessary, it could provide adequate supply for 70,000 people.

The City of Langley is divided into two pressure zones. These zones split in the area of 53 Avenue with the north half being supplied by gravity from the Clayton reservoir in Surrey at all times and the south being supplied directly from our reservoir. If the water is drawn off by other Municipalities prior to arriving in the City, automatic control valves located along 53 Avenue will open allowing water from our reservoir to supply the north sector in the interim. The reservoir is also supplied by the Clayton reservoir through pipes isolated from the rest of the system.

To ensure adequate pressures and circulation within the system, there are three 100 horsepower pumps each capable of supplying 105 litres per second with an additional standby pump available should the need arise. We also have a large standby diesel operated generator capable of operating the entire pump station and reservoir during a power outage. These pumps operate in stages as required starting with one then two then the third. They insure circulation of all stored water within a 3 to 4 day time frame. To insure our water remains at the highest standard for domestic use, it is tested weekly at 4 locations and elevations in the reservoir and 12 remote testing stations throughout the City. The reservoir is constructed in two cells, which allows City crews to empty one half at a time for cleaning and maintenance purposes while never leaving the City without water in reserve. Emptying one cell is carried out by isolating the cell and allowing the population to drain it down. The remnants are then flushed through a dechlorination cell and sump located outside of the station prior to entering the storm sewer. This protects the fish from exposure to chlorine residual.

The City of Langley Public Works Department flushes and cleans the entire City water system on an annual basis in order to ensure a safe, healthy and odorless supply 24 hours per day every day of the year.

The GVRD will improve the quality of the region's tap water with ozone primary disinfection of the Coquitlam source water supply. As well as ozonation, the pH of the water will be adjusted from the current pH of between 5.5 and 6 to between 6.5 and 7. A further pH adjustment to between pH 8 and 8.5 is planned for 2002.

No change in the taste, odour or appearance of the water is expected. However, the dissolved oxygen content will increase, which may sometimes result in tiny bubbles causing a milky appearance. These bubbles should disappear within a few seconds.

Ozonation will provide more efficient disinfection than chlorine. However, the water will still be chlorinated after ozonation to preserve its quality in the distribution system.

GVRD Information:

Phone: (604) 432-6200
Fax: (604) 432-6399
Email: comm_ed@gvrd.bc.ca
Water Quality inquiries: (604) 451-6010

Tips for Conserving Water:

Indoors:

Low flow toilets save 6L per flush
Ultra low flow toilets save 14L per flush
Checking for leaks can save 1400L/month
Water displacement devices can save 12-100L of water per day, depending on the device (stainless steel inserts, toilet dams, save 100L/day)
Low flow showerheads save 8L/minute
Shorter showers help conserve water
Filling the bath only half full saves 80L+/bath
Putting a stopper in the tub before starting the water saves 20L/bath
Full washer loads and shorter cycles save 96L/load
Turning the faucet off when it is not needed can save 10-40L/day
Installing a flow restrictor or a faucet aerator can save up to 20L/day
Checking for leaks can save 47L/day (2L/hr)
Full dishwasher loads on a shorter cycle saves 28L/load
Dishwashing by hand and rinsing in a dish pan can save 32-60L per load

Outdoors:

Water your lawn only when it needs it. An hour of sprinkling uses 1300L of water and since no more than 2.5 cm can be absorbed, watering for longer is no benefit to your lawn. By changing from 3 hours of watering to 1 hour of watering, 2600L of water can be saved.
By watering only those things that grow water isn't wasted on the cement. With the correct positioning of your sprinkler 10-35L/minute are saved
Choose drought tolerant plants, less water is required and savings can be 10-35Lminute
A hose with the water running uses 23L/minute, by using a spring-loaded nozzle you can save up to 16L/minute
Water in the cooler parts of the day, less water is lost to evaporation
If you aerate, apply compost and weed your lawn, less water will be required
Use a bucket of soapy water to wash your car, and use the hose only for rinsing. The hose uses 23L/minute where as using a bucket can help you save at least two minutes worth of water (46L).
Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks. A hose uses 23L/minute
Use water toys and outdoor "kiddy" pools to cool off, instead of the sprinkler. A sprinkler uses 1300L/hour so the savings can be astounding