Metro Vancouver has started planning for a new Coquitlam Intake No. 2 Water Supply, which will provide access to additional source water storage by the mid-2030s – and help to ensure the continued supply and delivery of water to meet the region’s needs over the next 100 years.
Metro Vancouver residents have steadily reduced their individual water use over the past two decades, largely due to water conservation and efficiency measures. However, as the region’s population continues to grow, the region’s total water use is projected to increase.
The Coquitlam Intake project, which includes water treatment facilities, will allow Metro Vancouver to double the capacity of the Coquitlam Water Supply by accessing more water from Coquitlam Lake, which already provides a third of the region’s drinking water.
The increased storage, along with continued water conservation efforts, will ensure the water system remains resilient to potential hazards and continues to supply and deliver water to meet the needs of the region’s growing population and respond to the impacts of a changing climate. If demands on the system are lower than current projections when the Coquitlam Intake No. 2 is commissioned, this could allow the deferral of the next major water supply expansion project by several decades.
