common-water-and-sewer-concerns

Sanitary Sewer & Drainage

Sanitary Sewer Services

The City of Delta’s sanitary system consists of 49 sanitary pump stations, 411 kilometres of gravity main, and 70 kilometres of sanitary force main throughout the City. The sanitary system takes all the flow from sinks, toilets, and appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines. Delta conducts CCTV inspections on a regular basis for maintenance of the sanitary system.

Drainage & Irrigation

The City of Delta operates and maintains 31 drainage pump stations and approximately 538 kilometres of drainage infrastructure that includes pipes, ditches, and forcemains. The stormwater runoff that enters catchbasins leads to local creeks, sloughs, and eventually the Fraser River or the ocean.

In the agricultural area of Delta, the ditches and pump stations function in drainage mode during the winter when there is a lot of rainfall and in irrigation mode in summer when water in the ditches is used to irrigate crops. During irrigation mode, a series of control gate structures throughout Delta’s farmland help regulate the water level for agricultural use.

Stormwater Best Management Practices

The City of Delta employs strategies and initiatives to retain stormwater with the goals to allow for infiltration of rainwater before entering fish habitat and groundwater rejuvenation.

Flood Protection

The City of Delta is uniquely located between coastal and river fronts: the Fraser River along the north, Boundary Bay along the south coast, and Georgia Straight along the west perimeter. Delta operates and maintains over 63 kilometres of flood protection infrastructure that works in conjunction with drainage infrastructure to achieve flood resiliency. Dike, seawalls, and foreshore protection are common components of flood protection infrastructure.

With climate change, sea level rise along the coastal fronts and more rapid snowmelt along the river front will require future upgrades to Delta’s existing flood protection infrastructure. Delta is actively working on finding more modern, cost effective, and nature-based solutions for flood protection such as the living dike pilot project.