Construction & Maintenance

Richmond staff consistently take the lead on both construction and maintenance projects, rather than relying on external contractors. The teams have demonstrated repeatedly that their combined expertise and commitment to the City’s values results in projects being completed on time and on – or even under – budget. 

The dedicated crews are responsible for a range of tasks, including installation of new watermains, upgrades to existing water distribution infrastructure, provision of service connections to new construction, and installation of water meters in multi-family housing complexes.

When putting pipes in the ground for water service, the crews see more than the task at hand. They recognize (and emphasize) the importance of safe, reliable water, and the critical need to support a sustainable water supply to protect this limited and highly valuable resource. 

Richmond crews take pride in their work, and they keep the bigger picture in mind: the people who are connected to the system.

To learn more about the work Richmond crews perform in the community, check out the Connecting Community stories on the Learn About Water page featuring recent construction and maintenance projects.

The dedicated watermain crew is responsible for completing the annual planned capital construction program. These tasks include installation of new watermains, upgrades to existing water distribution infrastructure, provision of service connections to new construction, and installation of water meters in multi-family housing complexes.

Water Services crews also do system repairs as required, including fixing watermain breaks and repairing damaged or broken water service connections. In addition, they use specialized equipment to identify, locate and repair underground leaks in our water system. Maintenance includes the following key infrastructure:

Watermains

Involves the daily maintenance for repair of watermains, flushing to maintain water quality, inspection and monitoring of the cathodic protection system to protect steel watermains from corrosion. Construction involves replacement of watermains which have reached the end of their economic maintenance life cycle or that are undersized for the service area.

Water Connections

Involves the daily maintenance for the repair, renewal, disconnection, and locating of water connections that services individual properties. These are the lines that supply water from the watermain to the customers point-of-use.

Water Meters

Involves the repair, replacement, delivery, installation, reading and testing of water meters. The meters record the amount of water a customer consumes and bill accordingly. The sewage cost to the customer is directly proportionate to their water usage.

Fire Hydrants

Involves the repair, servicing, testing, painting and clearing of fire hydrants. The fire hydrants are maintained to the fire code standards. This section responds when a fire hydrant has been damaged in a motor vehicle accident.

Valves

Involves the repair, replacement, painting, clearing and cleaning of control valves. These are key components of the system as they serve to isolate areas of the system for repair. As an area increases in population density, additional valves are installed to lessen the impact of watermain shut downs.

Pressure Reducing Stations

The water system has 13 pressure-reducing valve stations which reduce Metro Vancouver's higher operational pressure down to one that is manageable for Richmond's water distribution system. The stations are connected to a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system that provides information to the Works Yard such as water pressure, quality and flow. The activities in the area involve the repair, servicing and monitoring key components of the system.

Water Services crews also respond to maintenance and service requests from a wide variety of customers, including residents, businesses, developers, contractors and utilities such as Fortis BC, BC Hydro and Metro Vancouver. They:

• Complete watermain tie-ins
• Work on existing watermains, such as raising or lowering mains to accommodate utility requirements
• Install, replace and upgrade fire hydrants

Additional ongoing preventative maintenance and repair programs help extend the life of the infrastructure and reduce service disruptions due to equipment or infrastructure breakdowns. This helps reduce both capital and ongoing operating costs.

City staff quickly respond to issues arising with the water system and other City utilities and assets. Major disruptions to water services, such as pipe breaks, leaks and other issues, are dealt with quickly and efficiently, minimizing impact on the system, its users and the community at large.