Water Quality
The City of Richmond's Water Services section works with Metro Vancouver to provide high-quality drinking water to our residents and businesses that meets or exceeds all government safety standards.
Ensuring Water Quality
In 2002, the City implemented a Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Program to comply with provincial and federal legislation, which include: BC’s Drinking Water Protection Act and Drinking Water Protection Regulations, Metro Vancouver’s Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting Plan, and Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.
Water Quality and Conservation Report
Under federal, provincial and regional regulations, the City of Richmond is required to produce an annual report detailing the results of the City’s water quality monitoring program for review by Vancouver Coastal Health and City residents and businesses.
Richmond Water Quality & Conservation Report (4.2MB)
Monitoring & Testing
To ensure the City's drinking water is safe and meets quality standards, our crews collect water samples every week from 40 testing locations throughout Richmond’s water distribution network. Over the course of a year, that totals more than 2,000 water samples that are tested for microbiological, organic and inorganic contaminants that may affect the health of water users. In 2023, for example, every one of 2,074 samples tested were 100% free of key contaminants.
Water samples collected by City staff are taken to Metro Vancouver laboratories for analysis, and test results are reviewed by City and Vancouver Coastal Health staff to ensure our drinking water meets safety standards. If there is evidence of bacteria, the system is flushed and re-chlorinated, and further samples are taken to ensure that bacteria has been eliminated.
In addition to testing water to look for contaminants, Richmond’s water is also monitored for temperature and appearance, and based on customer feedback, taste and odour.
If you notice discoloration, odour or taste problems with your water, call the City at 604-270-8721.
Flushing Programs
Unidirectional flushing of Richmond’s water distribution system is critical for drinking water quality as it expels accumulated silts and organic matter from the watermain that can reduce the effectiveness of disinfectants used to fight the growth of bacteria in the water system.
The unidirectional flushing program runs from March through April and is usually conducted at nighttime. Flushing may result in pressure fluctuation and some discoloration and sediment in drinking water, but only for a short duration. If your water appears discoloured, run the cold tap until the water clears.
Water Services’ unidirectional flushing involves forcing water in a single direction, increasing the speed of water flow and ensuring the inside of the pipes is being scoured and cleaned while the water is safely flushed out of the watermain network. The water is then drained through hydrants or blow-offs at the end of the flushing sequence to remove the debris from the system. When practical, the flushed water is captured to be reused for irrigation.
Water Services also conducts weekly, monthly and annual flushing programs throughout the year. Staff take measures to control the flow of water and flush at lower velocities to eliminate stagnant water in dead-end watermains and other low-demand areas.
