COQUITLAM, B.C. — Metro Vancouver has entered the planning phase for a new Coquitlam Intake No. 2 water supply tunnel that will provide access to additional source water storage by the mid-2030s – and help meet the regions water needs for the next century.
According to Metro Vancouver officials, the region’s residents have steadily reduced their individual water use over the past 20 years, mostly thanks to water conservation and efficiency initiatives. But officials warned that as the region’s population keeps rising, the region’s total water use is expected to increase.
The Coquitlam intake project will allow Metro Vancouver to double the capacity of the Coquitlam water supply by accessing more water from Coquitlam Lake, which already supplies more than 30 per cent of the region’s drinking water. The project also includes water treatment facilities.
Officials noted that increasing the storage and continuing water conservation activities will help the water system prevent hazards, support population increases and defend against climate change impacts.
If demands on the system are lower than current projections when the Coquitlam Intake No. 2 is commissioned, officials anticipate they could defer the next major water supply expansion project by several decades.
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