Water Quality Report

The Township of Langley is home to approximately 126,000 residents and provides water to approximately 105,840 of these residents. The residents not serviced by Township water access water from private or community wells. The Township of Langley sources water from 17 wells and via the Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD).

Source water generally met the requirements of British Columbia Drinking Water Protection Regulations and the Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality (GCDWQ) except for one E.coli event at Brookswood Well #9. Following the positive E.coli sample, the well was shut down, re-sampled, and tested by an accredited lab. Upon two successive clean water samples, the well was reactivated. The well was monitored for an additional six months as per the recommendations of the Fraser Health Authority.

Additionally, the source water had exceedances to the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) limits for Nitrate (as Nitrogen) and Turbidity (ALARA). These exceedances at the Aldergrove water sources were reduced to acceptable limits by blending the water sources before the treatment process at Aldergrove Water Treatment Plant (AWTP).

Aesthetic Objectives (AO) for Iron, Manganese, and pH were also exceeded in the source water. For the Aldergrove water sources, these Aesthetic Objectives were reduced to acceptable limits through the treatment process at Aldergrove Water Treatment Plant (AWTP). The Township is currently looking into implementing possible methods and procedures that will further improve the quality of water provided to its residents in northwest and southwest Langley.

All distribution water quality met the requirements of the British Columbia Drinking Water Protection Regulation and the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality for E.coli, as there were no positive E.coli test results.

Aesthetic Objectives for Colour, which is caused by naturally occurring organic matter, was not met. There was also a high HPC event following the positive E.coli sample at Brookswood Well #9. As per the Guidelines to Canadian Drinking Water Quality, HPC is “a useful operational tool for monitoring general bacteriological water quality through the treatment process and in the distribution system. HPC results are not an indicator of water safety and should not be used as an indicator of potential adverse human health effects.”

The Township of Langley follows the GCDWQ recommended pH parameter of 7.0-10.5 for finished water. Approximately 433 or 17.89 % of 2420 distribution pH samples were below the 7.0-10.5 range. The Township’s pH ranged from 5.7-9.56 with an average of 7.43.

Water quality reports are prepared according to the BC Drinking Water Protection Regulation (Section 11), which requires all water suppliers produce a water quality annual report and must ensure that the information be made public.

Read other Utilities water quality reports (2017  ,  2016  , 2015  , 2014 ) and Parks water quality reports (2016 , 2015 ).

Cross Connection Control Program

A cross connection is any physical connection between a possible source of contamination and any drinking water piping. Backflow is the flow of water in the reverse direction within a piping system. When a cross connection and backflow are combined, the result can be a contaminant entering the water supply piping.

The Township’s Cross Connection Control Program is pro-active and safeguards our drinking water from actual or potential cross connections by tracking backflow preventers, building a strong backflow industry network, incorporating backflow prevention at the design stage of new construction, and promoting safe drinking water practices.

Backflow Prevention 
Backflow Device Test Report 

Township contacts

Test reports for new installations or as part of final inspection of the building:

Building Department
604-533-6018
permitsec@tol.ca 

Annual retesting, repairs, test reports, technical or program inquiries:

Engineering Division
604-532-7300
backflow@tol.ca

Frequently Asked Questions