From source to sink
Where Burnaby water comes from
A plain-language tour of the lakes, rivers, or wells that feed Burnaby, the plants that clean the water, and how it reaches kitchen taps. Lab grades for hardness, lead, and pH live on the water quality page.
On the map
Where Burnaby water lives
Source waters and treatment plants pinned from published utility names. Open a pin below for the full OpenStreetMap view.
- CityBurnaby
Municipal service area
- Source waterCapilano Reservoir
Source water
- Source waterSeymour Reservoir
Source water
- Treatment plantSeymour Capilano Filtration Plant
Approximate pin near Burnaby (exact plant coordinates pending)
- Treatment plantCoquitlam Water Treatment Plant
Approximate pin near Burnaby (exact plant coordinates pending)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins are approximate for orientation, not legal survey points.
Deep dive for households
Burnaby drinking water starts as surface water (rivers, lakes, or reservoirs). The named sources on the utility record are Capilano Reservoir, Seymour Reservoir, Coquitlam Reservoir. That is the water that eventually reaches kitchen taps after treatment, not a separate bottled brand.
Burnaby uses more than one treatment plant (Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant; Coquitlam Water Treatment Plant). Utilities often run plants in parallel so different neighbourhoods can be served, or so one plant can cover for another during maintenance. Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant: Regional filtration/UV treatment for Capilano and Seymour water. Coquitlam Water Treatment Plant: Regional ozone/UV/chlorine treatment for Coquitlam water.
After treatment, water moves through pumps, storage, and underground mains to reach streets and buildings. Burnaby receives Metro Vancouver-treated water and delivers it through roughly 720 km of local distribution mains, with municipal sampling at dozens of dedicated sites. Regional re-chlorination stations sit on the transmission system before and within member delivery.
One detail that makes Burnaby water feel local: Metro Vancouver’s corporate offices sit in Burnaby, but treatment and source reservoirs remain in the Capilano-Seymour-Coquitlam mountain supply areas north of the region. Lab grades for hardness, lead, and pH sit on the city water quality page; this overview is about the route the water travels.
Where it starts
Surface water
Rivers, lakes, or reservoirs, not underground wells as the main draw.
Research confidence: high
Named source waters
- Capilano Reservoir
- Seymour Reservoir
- Coquitlam Reservoir
Treatment plants
These are the buildings that filter and disinfect water before it enters city pipes.
Seymour Capilano Filtration Plant
Regional filtration/UV treatment for Capilano and Seymour water.
Coquitlam Water Treatment Plant
Regional ozone/UV/chlorine treatment for Coquitlam water.
How it reaches your street
Burnaby receives Metro Vancouver-treated water and delivers it through roughly 720 km of local distribution mains, with municipal sampling at dozens of dedicated sites. Regional re-chlorination stations sit on the transmission system before and within member delivery.