Combined and separated sewers in Vancouver
Older parts of Vancouver were built with combined sewers: one pipe under the street carries both rainwater and sewage. Newer areas, and blocks the City has already rebuilt, have separated sewers: one pipe for rainwater and another for sewage.
In heavy rain a combined pipe can fill up. Water can then back up through floor drains into basements, and the overflow goes into False Creek, the Fraser River or Burrard Inlet. The City is replacing combined sewers block by block, working toward the Province’s goal of ending sewage overflows by 2050.
When a property is redeveloped or has a major renovation, its own sewer connection usually has to be separated too, which adds to the cost of the project. When the City installs separated sewers on your street, the house connection should be renewed to join the new system.
Our pages look at the City’s sewer mains next to each lot. The pipes inside the lot are not in public data: ask the seller about past backups, and ask a plumber to check for a backwater valve and to camera-inspect the drain line.
General information, not legal or professional advice.