Stanley Park Water Supply Tunnel

Opportunity

In the 1930s, Metro Vancouver constructed a water main to supply the community with drinking water. Nearly a century later, the water system has reached the end of its service life. It is also vulnerable to seismic activity and can't keep pace with the growing population.

Solution

Metro Vancouver set out to construct a new water main below Stanley Park. The park is one of Vancouver's top tourist destinations, home to many plants and animals.

During conceptual design, Mott MacDonald assessed different alignments for the new water main. We applied the “triple bottom line″ considering people, profit, and the planet.

After picking the preferred alignment, our team investigated sites in Stanley Park, mapped outcrops, drilled boreholes, and applied marine geophysics. We currently manage a multidisciplinary team of 14 subconsultants, each one committed to meeting the technical, environmental, social, and archaeological challenges.

A tunnel more than 4,500 feet (1,370 m) long will be drilled through sedimentary bedrock. Inside the tunnel, the new Capilano Main No. 5 will bring water from the Capilano Reservoir to city residents. 

Outcome

When the water main is completed, Vancouver's water supply with be secure for years to come.

For more information, see Metro Vancouver's project website.