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New Westminster Water Main Break - February 2025

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Metro Vancouver has completed repairs to the water main.

Reviews of the cause of the break are still underway. We anticipate being able to share the findings of the review on the cause of the break this summer.

We appreciate your continued patience as we complete this important phase of the recovery.​​


​​​We understand that the water main break in New Westminster has caused significant disruption, and we are working collaboratively with other responders to resolve this situation as quickly and safely as possible.​

Our teams have been working diligently with the City of New Westminster,​ first responders, and emergency personnel to manage the impacts and restore services. We appreciate your patience, resilien​ce, and cooperation as we repair the break, and will continue to support other responders as recovery from the break is underway.

While repairs to the wate​r main are now largely com​plete, final steps, including disinfection and water quality testing, are ongoing. Metro Vancouver continues to monitor water quality and system stability, and further updates will be provided as needed.​

 

 

Incident timeline and reponses FAQIncident timeline and reponses FAQ<div class="ExternalClass3CB3A4E923EA4980BC05D92B68EE9F56"><h4>What was the timeline of events?</h4><p>Metro Vancouver was notified shortly after midnight on February 14, 2025 and was on site by 1:30 am. Staff immediately began planning the isolation strategy in conjunction with New Westminster staff. Isolation began at 4:00 am. Isolation involves manually and remotely operating valves from both Metro Vancouver and New Westminster’s systems. The isolation valves for the leaking main were closed around 8:00 am and the main was fully isolated around 11:30 am on February 14, 2025.</p><h4>Why did it take so long to turn off the water? </h4><p>The water main that experienced the break was a 36-inch pipe. This main typically delivers 32 million litres per day of drinking water to almost 100,000 residents. These large transmission water mains require multiple valves to be closed in a specific sequence. This ensures water continues to flow where needed while minimizing disruption to residents and critical facilities. If water is turned off too quickly, it can cause breaks or damage in other parts of the system and can disrupt water quality.</p><h4>What was Metro Vancouver’s role and responsibilities during the response? </h4><p>Metro Vancouver’s role was to isolate the system and repair the pipe. </p><h4>How old was the pipe?</h4><p>The pipe was installed in the early 1960s. It is a welded steel pipe. </p><h4>Do we know what happened and why the water main broke? </h4><p>We do not yet know what caused the break in the pipe. The section that broke was removed and has been sent to a third-party for investigation. </p><h4>Do we need to worry about additional pipe breaks? </h4><p>Originally installed in 1960, Sapperton Main No. 1 was considered to be in generally good condition, with an estimated 40 years of useful life remaining. </p><h4>How long will it take to investigate the cause of the break? </h4><p>The investigation into the cause of the water main break is already in progress, with more in-depth testing to occur in the coming weeks. A specialized engineering firm is conducting detailed testing, including expert review and reporting. Metro Vancouver will provide updates as more information becomes available. </p><h4>What steps were taken after accessing the pipe and draining the water?</h4><p>Metro Vancouver excavated the area to expose the damaged section of the pipe and secured the site to ensure public safety. Staff carefully assessed the damaged section to determine the most appropriate repair approach and promptly ordered necessary materials from local suppliers and fabricators.</p><p>While the pipe was accessible, Metro Vancouver engaged experts to examine adjacent sections of the water main to identify any additional damage or areas of concern. These experts are also conducting a detailed causation analysis on the removed section of the pipe to determine the cause of the break. The findings from this analysis will help inform future maintenance and mitigation strategies.</p><p>Following the assessment, Metro Vancouver staff installed a new section of pipe, applied protective coatings to prevent future corrosion, backfilled the excavation, removed the temporary shoring and fencing, disinfected the pipe, and restored the water main to normal service.</p><h4>Who is responsible for repairs to the buildings? </h4><p>Insurance providers are responsible for compensating residents for their losses based on their specific policy wordings. In the case of the strata building, the strata’s insurance provider is responsible for supporting repairs to the buildings to the extent consistent with any relevant and specific policy wordings. As part of the investigation, Metro Vancouver provides the opportunity for the strata’s insurer and your personal insurers to participate in the testing phases of the investigation while we work to determine cause and responsibility. The investigation includes looking into the reason the water main failed and other historical data. </p>​<br></div>

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Turning off​ water mains – how it’s done and why it takes time

The water main that experienced the break was a 36” pipe. These kinds of large transmission water mains require multiple valves to be closed in a specific sequence. This ensures water continues to flow where needed while minimizing disruption to residents and critical facilities. If water is turned off too quickly, it can cause breaks or damage in other parts of the system and can disrupt water quality.

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Parking

The City of New Westminster is managing parking regulations and concerns. Parking restrictions may be in place to accommodate maintenance vehicles. For questions or concerns regarding parking please contact New Westminster Par​king Services at 604-519-2010 or parking@newwestcity.ca.

Water main diameter 0.9 m​

​Noise, generators​, and elevators

Metro Vancouver understands that power and elevator service disruptions have impacted residents. However, issues related to building generators and elevator restoration fall outside of Metro Vancouver’s ability to assist. Metro Vancouver cannot perform work on private property.

Strata councils should contact their insurers, adjusters, or brokers for assistance and updates regarding these matters. Any questions or concerns regarding repairs, insurance claims, or service timelines should be directed to the appropriate strata representatives. For further assistance, residents are encouraged to reach out to their building management or strata council.

Residents may experience increased noise levels due to heavy equipment, pumps, and generators operating in the area. For questions or concerns regarding noise please contact New Westminster Engineering Department at 604-527-4592.

Insurance claims​

If you have sustained any loss or damage to your home or property, your first step should be to contact your insurance broker. Metro Vancouver cannot do any work on private property in relation to any potential loss; therefore, it is your responsibility to mitigate any damages that have occurred or that may be ​​ongoing.

The Local Government Act requires that the Regional District Corporate Officer receive a Notice of Claim within two months of the date of loss. Once a completed form has been received, Metro Vancouver will acknowledge receipt of the notice and investigate the incident. Metro Vancouver will formulate a decis​ion and inform you whether or not Metro Vancouver will be providing compensation for the specific circumstances.


Contact​

Risk Management
  • Email ​​
  • 604-436-6997​​​​
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Making a claim

​​To file a claim with Metro Vancouver for damages or injury, submit a 'Notice of Claim' form using one of the forms below.​​​​
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Notice of claim - online form https://forms.metrovancouver.org/corporate/Pages/notice-of-claim-form.aspx, Notice of Claim - online form Notice of claim - online form
Notice of claim form - fillable PDFhttps://metrovancouver.org/media-room/Documents/Notice-of-Claim-Form-editable-PDF.pdf, Notice of claim form - fillable PDFNotice of claim form - fillable PDF

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