Outfall Pipe

<div class="ExternalClassBF3C8A4B02354F338B870A9482C1EF22"><p>Treated wastewater from the Northwest Langley Wastewater Treatment Plant is discharged into the Fraser River through an outfall pipe. A new, higher capacity outfall pipe will be required to service the expanded plant. The replacement outfall is currently in the initial stages of design, and work will soon begin to determine the outfall pipe and discharge location.</p><p>The replacement outfall pipe will meet regional growth needs while ensuring greater seismic resilience and continuous, reliable, and safe management of wastewater.</p></div>

Township of Langley

Project

Northwest Langley Wastewater Treatment Plant - New Outfall Pipe Map

https://metrovancouver.org/services/liquid-waste/ConstructionImages/_t/nwlwtp-overview-map-new-outfall-pipe_jpg.jpg

Northwest Langley Wastewater Treatment Plant - New Outfall Pipe Map

Environmental impact study to determine outfall location

Metro Vancouver is undertaking an environmental impact study to help determine the best location for the outfall pipe.

The objectives of the environmental impact study are to:

Determine what the existing conditions are in the Fraser River, by using available data and conducting environmental sampling and analysis and riverbed mapping near the expanded treatment plant
Identify monitoring locations within the river and determine what will be measured and how often, before and after discharge begins
Look at how the water is currently used, or could be used, by people, plants, and animals
Check to make sure the discharge will meet receiving water quality guidelines and clearly explain how those standards are being met to confirm the proposed treatment will not have negative effects on human health or the environment
Confirm treated wastewater will meet water quality guidelines to protect areas of concern such as water intakes, beaches, shellfish harvesting areas, and spawning and rearing habitat
Outline the measures that will be in place during construction to help protect the environment and reduce any potential impacts to people, plants, or animals

Community Engagement

Your Opinion Counts

A draft terms of reference for the environmental impact study describes the proposed scope of the study and recommended field programs and analysis to complete the study. The public engagement period on the draft terms of reference ended on July 31, 2025. Further opportunities for input on the location of the outfall pipe and the environmental impact study will also be available in 2026.

Terms of reference report - Environmental impact study

Phase 1 – What We Heard	Phase 1 – What We Heard	<div class="ExternalClassE1AB8B15AF2348AF9317CD51AE72FE6D"><div class="uk-overflow-auto"> <table class="uk-table uk-table-small uk-table-divider mv-border-top-sepia mv-table-heading-sepia mv-table-border uk-table-striped"><thead><tr><th>What We Heard</th><th>How We’re Responding</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Environmental Protection</strong></p><p>Discharging effluent should be temporary and only if treated water is as clean as possible; concern over pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and hormones entering waterways.</p></td><td><p>The effluent from the expanded plant will be cleaner than what is discharged from the existing plant to the Fraser River. The expanded plant will provide tertiary filtration and could be adapted to meet more stringent regulations in the future if required.</p><p>The environmental impact study will model predicted effluent quality to confirm compliance with all applicable water quality guidelines. Through this study and ongoing monitoring, Metro Vancouver will work closely with regulators to identify and monitor emerging and or persistent contaminants. </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Monitoring & Research</strong></p><p>Recommend invertebrate and salmon surveys upstream, downstream, and in tributaries; request to involve specific environmental groups.</p></td><td><p>Fish species of interest will be identified during the study and are expected to include eulachon, white sturgeon, and all species of Pacific salmon. Benthic invertebrate communities are often studied for their value as indicators to disturbance and pollution. The existing composition of benthic invertebrate communities within the study area will be summarized in the environmental impact study.</p><p>The requirement to conduct invertebrate and salmon surveys in contributing tributaries will be determined through the risk assessment process, with consideration given to potential changes in species distribution between the main channel of the Fraser River and its tributaries. Any recommendation to conduct additional sampling would be identified in the monitoring plan section of the environmental impact study.</p><p>Various environmental groups were contacted during engagement to solicit their feedbacks on the environmental impact study Terms of Reference. </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Study Scope</strong></p><p>Ensure consideration of king tides, sea-level rise, saltwater wedge effects on dilution, and potential odors/air quality impacts.</p></td><td><p>Consideration of king tides and higher sea levels will be included in project planning.</p><p>Available information suggests that the salt wedge does not extend as far upstream as where the plant is located and therefore will not impact dilution. </p><p>The upgraded plant will include robust odour control, which reduces odour to barely detectable levels. During normal operations, there should be no discernable odour from any of the facilities at the fence line of the plant.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Public Consultation</strong></p><p>Skepticism about the value of non-expert input; concern that engagement is mandated but may not meaningfully affect decisions.</p></td><td><p>While regulatory requirements and standards guide many decisions, community perspectives remain essential and will be considered throughout the environmental impact study process. Public input helps us understand local knowledge, lived experiences, and community priorities that technical data alone cannot capture. </p><p>All input we receive is documented, reviewed, and considered in decision-making. We are committed to reporting back on how public input is reflected in the environmental impact study process.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Costs</strong></p><p>Acknowledgement project must proceed, but concerns around cost and impact to residents.</p></td><td><p>Metro Vancouver takes oversight and management of its projects very seriously, with a dedicated Project Delivery department to oversee major projects. The cost estimating framework used to determine costs of major wastewater treatment plant upgrades considers contingencies, cost escalation, and risk reserves, and Metro Vancouver has a standardized process to ensure there are regular points for progress reporting on large, multi-year projects. These procedures are consistent and robust and ensure the public, elected officials, and staff from Metro Vancouver’s member jurisdictions have insight into project management.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br></div>
First Nations Engagement	First Nations Engagement	<div class="ExternalClassA3266C35317C45DCB697E2A6FA26E71C"><p>Meaningful First Nations engagement is critical to the success of the Northwest Langley Wastewater Treatment Plant Program, and First Nations have contributed input throughout the Program, including on the draft environmental impact study terms of reference. </p><p>Each phase of engagement on the environmental impact study will involve a government-to-government engagement approach with First Nations to ensure that Indigenous perspectives and priorities are well-incorporated into project planning wherever possible. <br></p></div>

2020 – 2024	2020 – 2024	<div class="ExternalClass829FFB67FC5548F48D4BB4FE344359BA"><p>Pump Station and Storage Tank<br></p></div>	0
2021 – 2024	2021 – 2024	<div class="ExternalClass4BD1CF9CE7FD4006A871E5B81AF9FF64"><p>Fraser River Crossing<br></p></div>	0
2018 – 2030	2018 – 2030	<div class="ExternalClassB6265B3E344E4398A5BED389FEEBAA3C"><p>Wastewater Treatment Expansion<br></p></div>	1
2026 -2029	2026 -2029	<div class="ExternalClass91FE257ACC044DF68EB901A8EA3F805C"><p>Outfall Pipe <br></p></div>	0

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