Water Resources for K-12

Classroom-ready resources support learning about Metro Vancouver’s drinking water sources, water treatment, water testing, and action for water conservation.

Overview

Water is essential for humans – and all living things – to function and thrive. Metro Vancouver is responsible for supplying residents with their high quality drinking water every day.

With three natural watersheds and some of the world’s most innovative water treatment facilities, Metro Vancouver is a world leader in sustainable water systems. However, even with our modern technology, the single most important way to ensure our water remains high quality and abundant is through education.

Our drinking water comes from three mountain watersheds

Watersheds are areas where streams and rivers drain to the same body of water. The three watersheds – Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam – together cover an area 150 times the size of Stanley Park. The watersheds are closed to public access, protecting our water supply from human access, urban development, and human-caused disturbances such as pollution or forest fires. Rain and melting snow flow downhill through the watersheds’ creeks and streams into large collection lakes called reservoirs. Metro Vancouver’s three main reservoirs store this water for drinking water supply.

Metro Vancouver uses a system of supply watersheds and reservoirs, dams, treatment facilities, pump stations and water mains to connect to municipal systems throughout the region, which deliver water to your tap.

Water treatment at the Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant

The Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant is the largest drinking water filtration plant in Canada. Operating since 2009, it can treat up to 1.8 billion litres per day. Water from both the Capilano and Seymour Reservoirs is treated at the Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant.

Explore the science of water treatment, and the people and skills that it takes to operate the facility in this video produced for grades 5-12 students as an alternative to an in-person field trip.

Water is a key conceptual focus throughout the big ideas and core content of BC’s K-12 curriculum, from simpler explorations at the Elementary level to more complex inquiries during the Secondary years.

Inquiry spark activities

These flexible activities aim to spark curiosity, develop competencies and promote inquiry.

How do we use water in Metro Vancouver?

Metro Vancouver provides high-quality​ drinking water through its member municipalities for residents of the Metro Vancouver region​. Metro Vancouver residents use a lot of water every day. This inquiry spark activity aims to generate curiosity about how we use water and how we can use it more water wisely.

Where does my water come from?

Metro Vancouver uses a system of supply watersheds and reservoirs, dams, treatment facilities, pump stations and water mains to connect to municipal systems throughout the region, which deliver water to your tap. Follow the flow of water from the watershed to your home and your school. What parts of the system did your water travel through? What other questions do you have about our water supply system?

Activity ideas

These brief activity ideas can be adapted into more fulsome activities to guide learner inquiry.​​​

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