Project overview
Our region’s drinking water originates from rainfall and snowmelt, and is naturally acidic, which accelerates the corrosion of copper pipes and plumbing fixtures. To address this issue, Metro Vancouver first implemented the Corrosion Control Program in the 1990s, and has been adjusting its water treatment process over the years to protect copper pipes and hot water tanks across the region.
The most recent change happened in June 2021, when Metro Vancouver further increased the pH and alkalinity using natural minerals to make the water less corrosive. This was an important step in this long-term program, and since then, Metro Vancouver has been monitoring the water quality through enhanced sampling and testing to analyze the changes across the regional water system and assess the effectiveness of the pH and alkalinity changes.
This change did not affect how our drinking water tastes or smells, and complied with the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.