The completion date is now the end of 2029, around a year later than originally planned.
Metro Vancouver says replacing the existing water main remains a priority but it is still finalising the necessary approvals “due to the complexity of this large drinking water infrastructure project”.
The new tunnel will replace an existing water main that was built in the 1930s, and is at the end of its service life.
To excavate the tunnel, install the water main, and build the valve chambers, three shafts will be constructed in Stanley Park. A Metro Vancouver spokesperson told T&TI the shaft locations, along with the tunnel alignment and construction process, were carefully selected based on rigorous geotechnical, environmental, archaeological, technological, and traffic studies.
“When complete, the new tunnel will meet current seismic standards, help ensure the continued reliable delivery of clean, safe drinking water to the communities of Vancouver, Richmond, Delta, Tsawwassen First Nation, and Point Roberts, and increase the capacity of the existing system for the region’s growing population,” the spokesperson said.
Upgrading aging water supply infrastructure is critical to ensure Metro Vancouver can continue delivering world-class drinking water to the region’s nearly 2.8 million residents each day.
