Streams & Water Quality
Surrey has over 1,400 kilometres of urban streams running through its neighbourhoods and parkland. These streams, both minor and major, provide spawning and rearing habitat for salmon and trout, as well as a myriad of wildlife species within each stream corridor. Preserving water quality and protecting these natural areas promotes healthy and productive stream environments.
Water Pollution
Within the urban environment runoff from roads, parking lots and industrial developments are collected by catch basins which eventually discharge into streams. This runoff is untreated and often contains harmful contaminants. There are two types of pollution to our waterways:
Point source: This is from a single identifiable source like a factory, waste water treatment plant or some other facility. Most of the current federal, provincial and municipal regulations are regarding these types of pollution sources.
Non point source pollution: This type of pollution is from multiple or un-identifiable sources. This includes stormwater run off from roadways, parking lots, lawns and agricultural fields. This run off can include oils, soap, animal or human waste, sediment and fertilizers.
The City of Surrey has created a series of brochures that highlights best management practices for industries that are the common causes of non-point source pollution. Click on the images below to learn more and to obtain a printable copy.
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Spills/Discharges
City staff work with Federal and Provincial staff on pollution investigations, tracking spills, testing water quality and charging offenders.
Storm drains carry uncontaminated rainwater to the nearest natural body of water. Foreign substances such as cleaning products, automotive fluids, fertilizers, paints, solvents, pool and hot tub water, and even loose soil can kill fish, insect and plant life when dumped into these drains.
If you witness a spill or chemicals being washed into a storm water drain, please contact the City of Surrey Engineering Department at 604.590.7226 (during business hours) or after 4:30pm and on weekends at 604.591.4431. Alternatively one of the following agencies can also be contacted:
Provincial Emergency Program: 1-800-663-3456
Environment Canada’s Hotline: 666-6100
DFO 24-hr hotline: 604-666-3500
For more information:
Environmental Emergency Management Program
Environment Canada Environmental emergencies
Relevant Regulations and legislation:
Federal Fisheries Act
Provincial Water Act
Provincial Environmental Management Act
Stormwater Drainage Regulation and Charges By-Law
Erosion
Within Surrey, all rainwater runoff leads to creek systems. The decision to maintain open watercourses throughout Surrey was a result of the City’s Natural Drainage Policy adopted in 1979. Since watercourses form the backbone of the City’s drainage system, the protection of the creeks is paramount.
Historic development often paved and piped areas without consideration of the effects of increased runoff in a watershed. With the adoption of the Natural Drainage Policy, the City started to manage for the watershed and receiving creek systems. Drainage studies on specific areas of the City can be found in the Drainage Plans and Reports section and also the Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (ISMP) section of the website.
Erosion is a natural process in all streams, creeks, and waterways. Development can sometimes accelerate this process especially if other means are not in place prior to flows entering a creek. Erosion is a problem when it occurs too close to structures, infrastructure or too significantly alters stream paths. In order to understand and monitor erosion patterns on the creeks in Surrey, consultants are retained to do an inspection of most creeks in Surrey every 2 years. In these assessment reports, consultants classify each erosion site as to the risk.
If you require information on a particular creek or have questions on any erosion site in Surrey, please call the Drainage & Environment Section at 604-591-4765
