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| Boards and Committees |
How are Metro Vancouver directors elected?
Metro Vancouver board members are appointed by their local council members. The number of directors appointed from each municipality relates to the population. Population also determines how many votes each municipality has. For example, a large city such as Surrey has four board members carrying a total of five votes, while a smaller municipality such as Lions Bay has one director with just one vote. The formula is one vote for every 20,000 people, up to a maximum of five votes.
Directors are appointed every year, and the inaugural meeting for the new board is held in December. At that meeting, a chair and vice-chair are elected. After the inaugural meeting, the chair determines the committees and their membership.
Electoral Area A is slightly different, as there is no local council. Voters elect a director to the board for a three-year term.
The process is governed by the Local Government Act.
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How do I find Board and committee minutes from previous years?
For previous years, contact the Library. |
| Grouse Grind |
When will the Grouse Grind open/close? The Grouse Grind opens when Metro Vancouver determines that trail conditions are safe. To find out if the trail is open or closed, search Grouse Grind. |
Are dogs allowed on the Grouse Grind? No, because there are concerns for the safety of hikers, and there is no ability to transport dogs on the tram. |
| Housing |
How do I apply for housing? To apply to rent a housing unit, complete an Application for Accommodation form and an Income Information Form and mail, fax or drop them off to this address below: The Housing Registry, 101 – 4555 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4V8 Fax: 604-439-4729. If you do not have access to a computer, you can pick up the forms from Metro Vancouver at 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, or we can mail them to you. Call us at 604-432-6200. |
How long does it take to get into housing? That depends on what you need, where you want to live, and what housing is available. We need to receive and review your application first. Then, we contact and short-list applicants for vacant housing by their preferences and date of application. |
| Metro Vancouver Facts and Figures |
How big is Metro Vancouver? Metro Vancouver (the region) has an area of 282,000 hectares and covers a distance of 96 km from Maple Ridge to Bowen Island.
Metro Vancouver (the organization) has approximately 1,300 regular full-time employees. |
What is Metro Vancouver? Metro Vancouver is both a nonpartisan political body and corporate entity operating under provincial legislation as a ‘regional district’ and ‘greater boards’ on behalf of twenty-two member municipalities and one electoral area. The three primary roles are service delivery, planning, and political leadership.
Metro Vancouver’s core services, which are provided principally to municipalities, are the provision of drinking water, sewerage and drainage, and solid waste management. Regional parks and affordable housing are significant services provided directly to the public.
Metro Vancouver’s three main areas of planning and regulatory responsibility relate to: regional growth (land use through municipalities and transportation through TransLink); waste management (solid and liquid waste) and air quality management (a delegated Provincial function).
Finally, Metro Vancouver serves as the main political forum for discussion of significant community issues at the regional level. It acts as a facilitator, convenor, partner, advocate and a significant instrument for providing information and education to the community. |
What is the population of Metro Vancouver? According to the 2006 census, the population of Metro Vancouver was 2.1 million. |
What is the Sustainable Region Initiative? Since 2002, Metro Vancouver has formally put the concept of sustainability at the centre of its operating and planning philosophy and committed itself to be a leader in the attempt to make the region one which is explicitly committed to a sustainable future. This comprehensive endeavour has become known as the Sustainable Region Initiative, or more familiarly as ‘the SRI’. To learn more about the SRI, search Metro Vancouver Sustainability Framework. |
When was Metro Vancouver formed and why? Metro Vancouver (originally named GVRD) was formed in 1967. It is one of 29 regional districts that were created by the provincial government. Regional governments were formed to ensure that all B.C. residents had equal access to commonly needed services, such as supplying and treating drinking water, collecting and treatment wastewater, and managing solid waste disposal.
In the case of Metro Vancouver, our history precedes the regional district concept. By the time the GVRD was officially formed, we already had the Greater Vancouver Water District (incorporated 1926 but the system began back in 1889) and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (incorporated 1956, but grew out of an earlier board created in 1914). These two legal entities still co-exist along with Metro Vancouver. |
Where would I find collective agreements for Metro Vancouver and municipal staff? |
Why did you change your name? We changed our name to achieve greater recognition for who we are and what we do, and to give our Board greater ability to influence at the local, national and international levels. |
| Nutrifor |
Are biosolids safe to touch? Yes, but you should wear gloves or wash your hands after handling biosolids, just as you would when handling animal manure or soil. |
Are there long-term studies on biosolids? Yes. Biosolids have been studied extensively in North America for the past 35 years. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency spent 12 years conducting and reviewing research on the land application of biosolids before developing their national regulation. In England, some biosolids research plots on agricultural land date back to 1843. |
Can anything be done to reduce contaminants in biosolids? Yes. Source control is the best way to improve the quality of biosolids. Metro Vancouver source control program limits industrial pollutants discharged to sewers through Sewer Use Bylaw No.164. Future improvements that will reduce the acidity of our drinking water will also reduce pipe corrosion, which now allows metals to enter the water distribution and sewer system. |
Can I buy biosolids? Metro Vancouver biosolids are not available for sale, but you can buy other biosolids products. Both Milorganite, a dried biosolids pellet from Milwaukee, and Natures Gold, a biosolids compost from Kelowna, are available at some BC garden centres. |
Do Metro Vancouver biosolids contain contaminants such as dioxins and PCBs? A recent review of contaminants in all Metro Vancouver biosolids revealed the presence of many chemicals, most of which occur in very small amounts. So far there is no evidence that these contaminants pose any risk to the public or the environment when applied to land. However, we are continuing to study whether these chemicals can persist in soil and whether they can affect plants or animals. |
Do Metro Vancouver biosolids contain disease-causing organisms? Disease-causing organisms are everywhere in the environment; they are only a threat to health at high concentrations. The treatment processes Metro Vancouver uses to make biosolids safe to recycle greatly reduce concentrations of disease-causing organisms. |
Do Metro Vancouver biosolids contain metals? Metro Vancouver biosolids meet all regulatory requirements for recycling. They contain very small amounts of metals. The most significant metal in Metro Vancouver biosolids is copper, which enters wastewater when our drinking water corrodes household pipes leading from our toilets and sinks. For reasons that are not clear, mercury concentrations are highest in biosolids made at the Lions Gate WWTP. Biosolids made at all plants contain very small amounts of other toxic metals, such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic. Scientific research has shown that any metals in biosolids tend to remain chemically bound to organic and clay particles, so they do not move into water, nor are they taken up by plants or animals in high concentrations. |
How are biosolids regulated? In Canada, biosolids are regulated at the provincial level, unlike in the United States where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Part 503 Rule sets regulatory requirements. In BC, biosolids are regulated through government permits or land application plans outlined in the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation. |
How does Metro Vancouver ensure that biosolids are safe?
Metro Vancouver is committed to maintaining public health and environmental quality in all biosolids land applications by:
-Treating biosolids to kill pathogens and prevent disease
-Routinely monitoring biosolids quality
-Ensuring appropriate management through site evaluations, land application plans, and best management practices
-Meeting regulatory standards and guidelines for water, soil, and vegetation quality. |
What are biosolids? The term -biosolids- is used to describe treated sewage sludge. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) create two products from wastewater: water that is discharged into a river or ocean and sludge that is treated to make biosolids. |
What do biosolids contain? Biosolids contain water, organic matter, silt, sand, nutrients, and trace elements. However, not all biosolids are alike. Depending on which treatment process is used and what has been discharged into the sewer system, biosolids can vary in both physical characteristics and nutrient and metal content. For example, dewatered (or spun-dry) biosolids from the Annacis Island WWTP contain 4.5% nitrogen and 30% solids, while land-dried biosolids from the Iona Island WWTP [link to Iona pop-up] contain 0.5% nitrogen and 70% solids. |
What do biosolids smell like? Each biosolids material has its own distinctive odour, depending on the treatment process used. When biosolids are fresh from the wastewater treatment plant, they smell strongly of ammonia and sulphur; after land drying greatly reduces this sulphur-ammonia odour, biosolids smell more like topsoil. Combining biosolids with carbon materials such as compost or wood shavings further reduces odours; such mixtures tend to have an earthy smell. |
What does "treatment" mean? Treatment refers to processes that destroy disease-causing organisms and make sludge safe so that it can be discharged into the environment by recycling on land. For example, at the Annacis Island WWTP the sludge undergoes biological treatment. This involves allowing microorganisms to feed on the organic matter in the sludge and then using heat (55 degrees Celsius) to kill pathogens. |
What happens to Metro Vancouver biosolids? Thirty-five percent of the 70,000 tonnes of Metro Vancouver biosolids produced each year are stored to dry at a wastewater treatment plant, and sixty-five percent of the biosolids are recycled in a variety of land application projects. The biosolids are used to reclaim land at mines and landfills; to fertilize ranch lands and poplar plantations; and to assist with landscaping. |
What is Nutrifor? Nutrifor is a registered trademark for Metro Vancouvers biosolids products and services. |
| Recycling and Garbage |
Do you have a solid waste bylaw? No, but the Province of B.C. requires us to have a Solid Waste Management Plan. We are updating the most recent plan, created in 1995. You are welcome to view the 1995 plan and a discussion document. In April, we held public meetings around the region to get feedback on the plan. |
What is Metro Vancouver’s involvement in solid waste? Metro Vancouver co-ordinates the long-range planning process for recycling and disposing of solid waste in our region. Metro Vancouver also funds and operates the transfer stations, incinerator and landfills that make up our waste management system.
We also work with residents, businesses and municipalities to help them reduce waste.
More information, search for recycling and garbage or solid waste. |
Where can I find statistics on solid waste? You can find statistics on types of solid waste and volumes by searching for Solid Waste Management Plan Annual Reports. For previous years, contact the Harry Lash Library. |
| Regional Parks |
How do I find out about booking space for an event in a regional park? You can reserve a variety of park facilities and outdoor sites for a wide range of activities. We have locations suitable to group picnicking and camping, weddings, baseball tournaments, equestrian activities, special events, meetings or workshops. Check out our reservable facilities. |
Which regional parks have dog off-leash areas? Tynehead Regional Park, Surrey Derby Reach Regional Park, Langley Campbell Valley Regional Park, Langley Township Aldergrove Lake Regional Park, Langley Pacific Spirit Regional Park, near UBC
There are no dog off-leash areas in the LSCR. Dogs are permitted on designated trails but not north of Rice Lake Gate. |
| Waste-to-Energy Facilities |
How much energy comes from a WTE facility? As an example, a modern WTE facility can produce about 75MW of electricity from 750,000 tonnes/year of waste. 75MW represents enough energy for 75,000 homes. Another opportunity to capture energy from a WTE facility involves using the steam to produce district heating for a local neighbourhood or business park. |
If we already have one, why are we looking at more WTE facilities? Metro Vancouver is in the process of looking for alternatives to landfilling our region’s waste. Cache Creek, which currently receives about 40% of the region’s waste, will close in 2009. Metro Vancouver is looking at long term solutions for managing waste in our region. Expanding our WTE capacity is one solution. |
Is this a new technology for Metro Vancouver? Metro Vancouver already has one WTE facility located in Burnaby. It has been operating for twenty years. As of January 2008, about 30% of the region’s waste (280,000 tonnes per year) goes to this facility. This generates about 900,000 tonnes of steam. In addition to three others across Canada, there are hundred’s of WTE facilities in Europe and Asia. Some examples can be found here. |
What about air pollution from a WTE facility? All waste management processes create air emissions; for example gasses from fermenting waste, fumes from haul trucks, and odours from decay. The best way to reduce this is to remove as much from the waste stream as possible; create less, recycle and compost more. In order to obtain a regulatory approval to operate a WTE facility in B.C., a facility will have to meet stringent standards. Some examples of the expected output from a 750,000 tonne/year facility are:
- Carbon monoxide equal to about 120 cars (where Metro Vancouver currently sees 1.3 million vehicles on the road)
- Nitrogen Oxide equal to about 4650 cars
- Hydrocarbon equal to about 110 cars
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What is a Waste-to-Energy facility?
WTE facilities capture clean energy (electricity or heat) from garbage, either by controlled burning or other processes. |
Will a WTE facility replace landfilling completely? No. Not all waste material can be processed in a WTE facility, so some items may still require landfilling. Also, a WTE facility produces residual materials (for example ash), some of which can be used as fill in road construction, and some of which requires final disposal such as landfilling. |
| Wastewater |
Are there any energy re-use options available at the region’s wastewater treatment plants? Yes. Four of our treatment plants employ a process call “anaerobic digestion” for the treatment of the primary and secondary solids removed from the wastewater. In this process, bacteria consume the solids and in turn generate digester gas - a mix of methane and carbon dioxide. This digester gas is combusted to heat the digestion process at all plants and is used to run the pumps that push the wastewater through the Lions Gate plant and to generate electricity at Annacis Island and Iona Island.
At Annacis Island, approximately 50% of the energy used by the plant is generated from digester gas. At Iona Island, up to 80% of the energy used by the plant is generated from digester gas. Additional energy re-use options are being investigated continuously and those that are economically viable are implemented. |
How many of the region’s wastewater treatment plants are primary plants? Two. The Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant are the only remaining primary treatment plants in the region. The other wastewater treatment plants are secondary treatment. |
Is any of the treated wastewater re-used? Yes. At all of the plants, we re-use treated wastewater wherever possible. At the secondary plants, treated wastewater is used for cooling equipment, washing out tanks, mixing chemicals and irrigation. At the primary plants, treated wastewater is used for washing out tanks and some equipment cooling. |
What happens to wastewater in the region? The region’s wastewater is treated in one of five wastewater treatment plants operated by Metro Vancouver. The Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant, located immediately to the west of the Lions Gate Bridge, serves the North Shore communities. The Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in Richmond to the north of the Vancouver International Airport serves the City of Vancouver. The Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, located on the south end of Richmond, serves all of Richmond. The Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, located beside the north foot of the Alex Fraser Bridge, serves Burnaby, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and all the regions communities located south of the Fraser River. The Northwest Langley Wastewater Treatment Plant serves a portion of Langley. |
What is the difference between a primary and a secondary treatment plant? Primary treatment plants use “physical processes” to remove as much of the solids out of the sewage as possible. The main process is “gravity settling” where solids, that are heavier than water, are allowed to settle to the bottom of a tank called a primary clarifier where they are removed for further treatment.
Secondary treatment plants consist of a primary treatment process and a secondary treatment process. In the region’s wastewater treatment plants, this secondary treatment process is a “biological process”. Bacteria are used to consume the remaining solids in the wastewater. (Remember that after primary treatment, the remaining solids are now so small that they won’t settle to the bottom of a tank.) This is done by creating an environment where these bacteria thrive. Eventually the bacteria become large and heavy enough that they will settle to the bottom of a tank called a secondary clarifier, which then separates the wastewater from the secondary solids. |
| Water |
Where does my water come from? Which watershed does it come from? Your water generally comes from rain and snowmelt that is stored in three mountain reservoirs: Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam Watersheds. They are all located in the mountains north of Vancouver. Metro Vancouver collects and distributes water to municipalities through a network of dams, water mains, pumping stations and reservoirs located throughout the region.
It is difficult to say exactly which watershed your water comes from. The distribution system is subject to constant change because of variations in regional and local demand, system operational and maintenance requirements, and water quality.
In case of heavy rains that cause turbidity (cloudiness) in the water, Metro Vancouver may move large quantities of water from the Coquitlam Watershed to municipalities generally served by the Capilano and Seymour Watersheds. The Coquitlam Watershed is usually much less affected by turbidity. |
Every summer we have water restrictions. Why doesn't Metro Vancouver just build more dams and reservoirs? Increasing supply capacity is costly and can have other economic, social or environment impacts. With careful management of our current and future water supply we have sufficient supply capacity to see us thorough until about the year 2050. |
How many watersheds does Metro Vancouver manage? Three: Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam Watersheds. They are all located in the mountains north of Vancouver. |
If current water supply conditions are normal, or above normal, why do we still have water restrictions? Water restrictions help to reduce peak water demand during the summer, and reduce water costs by lowering pumping costs and deferring system upgrades to the water supply infrastructure (pipes, dams and pumping stations). |
The water coming out of my taps/in my toilet is brown and cloudy, etc. What’s wrong with it, and is it safe to drink, shower, bath, etc? Your water may be cloudy and brown as a result of extremely heavy rainfall over the water supply lakes. Turbidity occurs when sediment is transported into the reservoirs by runoff. When this happens, Metro Vancouver increases disinfection as a safety precaution. While your water may be not have a pleasing look, it is safe and acceptable to drink.
Metro Vancouver provides water to each municipality, which in turn provides water to residential and commercial customers through their systems of pipes. |
What affects our water supply conditions? Precipitation and water use are the primary factors. During the summer, the river flow into our reservoirs dramatically decreases while the public demand for water increases. As a result our storage decreases during the summer until the fall rains return and refill our reservoirs. |
What does Metro Vancouver do to disinfect our water and make it safe? Metro Vancouver treats water in two ways to make it safe: primary disinfection and secondary disinfection.
At the Seymour and Capilano Reservoirs, where turbidity is highest, we currently use chlorine as a primary disinfection. Because filtering water is more effective than using chlorine, we are building a filtration facility in North Vancouver that will treat water from the Seymour and Capilano sources. The facility is expected to begin operation in 2009.
At the Coquitlam Reservoir, which is less turbid that Seymour and Capilano, we use ozone as a primary disinfection.
As water flows through the distribution system, the chlorine added to the water at the source gradually breaks down. This creates potential for bacteria to grow. To help preserve the quality, we rechlorinate it at secondary disinfection stations along the way.
Metro Vancouver continually monitors water quality. The Vancouver Sun newspaper publishes daily turbidity levels for each watershed. You can also view them on our website, search for water turbidity. |
What effect does snow pack have on our water supply? While snow pack is important, it should be noted that snow can melt rapidly in the spring and with full lakes, this melt water would not be captured for summer use. |
What is the fluoride level of Metro Vancouver water? Is fluoride added to the drinking water? The natural level of fluoride in the water is less than 0.05 mg/L Metro Vancouver does not add fluoride to drinking water, and it has not been added since the early 1960s. There are no plans to add it in the future. |
Where can I find a chemical and physical analysis of Metro Vancouver’s drinking water? Search for the Quality Control Water Report 2006 Volume 2. |
Why do you have lawn sprinkling regulations in place? It rains all the time in Vancouver. It makes no sense to conserve water when we get so much. Our region receives a lot of rain – but most of it falls in autumn and winter. Much of the rainfall and snowmelt in the watersheds cannot be stored for later use when dry weather comes. Construction of a new dam to store water would be costly and have a wide range of impacts. Metro Vancouver’s strategy is to build additional infrastructure as required, and to use more water from the existing Coquitlam Reservoir. By using water wisely and complying with sprinkling restrictions, we will achieve a more sustainable demand. These actions help to save money today and defer costly new projects, including a dam. Sprinkling regulations provide a fair system for lawn watering throughout the region, while encouraging efficient use of treated water through the summer. Current sprinkling regulations |
| Zero Waste Challenge |
Does this mean zero garbage? Reducing the volume of garbage to zero is an unlikely goal for any community. However, we can strive to be a world leader in waste reduction. Reducing, reusing and recycling garbage are collectively called ‘diverting waste’. Currently our region diverts 52% of our waste. The Zero Waste Challenge will target diverting 70% of our waste. |
What are the goals of the Zero Waste Challenge? There are two goals:
- Minimize the generation of waste in the region.
- Maximize reuse, recycling and energy recovery from solid waste.
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What is the Zero Waste Challenge? Zero Waste Challenge is a long term management plan for reducing the growing volume of solid waste being generated in Metro Vancouver. The Zero Waste Challenge will include initiatives to encourage or require residents and businesses to reduce the amount of waste going in the garbage by creating less waste, recycling more, and reusing all that we can. |
What will happen with the garbage that we can’t reuse or recycle? After we have removed everything possible from our waste by recycling, composting and reusing, there are processes and facilities that will allow us to capture the energy from the residual (remaining) waste. Even after these processes, there will likely be small volumes that will require disposal. |
When did Metro Vancouver decide to work towards the Zero Waste Challenge? The Metro Vancouver Board adopted the Zero Waste Challenge in February 15, 2007. At that time, the Zero Waste Challenge consisted of actions such as investigating region-wide food and yard waste composting, increasing the list of recyclable materials banned from the garbage and, increasing public education programs. The details are now being developed. |
When will Zero Waste Challenge initiatives begin? They already have. One of the first programs to begin under the Zero Waste Challenge is the expansion of the list of materials that are banned form the garbage, making recycling mandatory. For every item on the banned list, there are readily available recycling options for businesses and residents. More waste reduction programs are in design and will begin in 2008 and 2009. |
Where can I go for more information on reducing waste?
If you are a business, start with Metro Vancouver’s Business Services department.
If you are a resident, start with the Recycling Council of BC (RCBC) at www.rcbc.bc.ca or call the recycling hotline at 604-REC-YCLE. For more information about Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Challenge, or other Metro Vancouver Services contact the Metro Vancouver Information Centre at 604-432-6200 or email icentre@metrovancouver.org. |
Will this affect my curb-side garbage and recyclables collection? No. Curb-side collection programs for single family housing continue to be delivered by individual municipalities. As the Zero Waste Challenge progresses there will likely be some improvements to your system, but your municipality will ensure you know well in advance. |