Crew putting pipe in manhole

Learn how we plan to make aging sewers in Surrey last longer with an innovative technique.

Surrey has many old sanitary sewers located in the backyards or sides of homes, within City right-of-ways.

We are going to extend the useful life of these aging sewer pipes so they can continue to provide reliable service until redevelopment of property— which could be decades away for some areas. 

Project benefits

This project will:  

  • Increase the lifespan of sewers

  • Improve sewer service reliability

  • Reduce operating costs

  • Prevent ground water from getting into the sewers and pipes. 

Project timeline

This work will take several years to cover the various areas of the city. We will begin relining aging sewers in early 2024.

Project locations

We will begin in North Surrey where some of the city's oldest sewers exist and need repair. We will begin in the Robson Neighbourhood. View map of sewer relining locations.

How it works

1. We contact you about it

The sewers we'll be lining are located in the backyards or along the sides of houses in City right-of-ways— areas where the City can enter to take care of water and sewer pipes. Since the pipes are within the right-of-way, we'll need to access certain areas to fix them.

  • We (or our contractor) will contact you if we need to access the City right-of-way through your property. 
  • We'll give you a heads-up first. Whether it's a knock on your door or a letter or flyer, we'll reach out and connect with you before we step onto your property.
  • Once details are confirmed, the contractor will deliver a letter with relining service dates.

2. We prepare the site

  • We may need to remove fencing or landscaping that blocks access to the manhole.
  • Any impacted features will be restored to existing condition or better. 
  • We will let the property owners know in advance if there will be any impacts. 

3. We fix the sewer

We will use the cured in place pipe relining method, which uses a felt liner and epoxy resin. This method does not require digging of trenches so reduces impacts to property.  

What you can expect on the day of the sewer repairs

  • Crew will be on-site for approximately one day (7:00am to possibly 10:00pm).  
  • Your sewer will be shut off from 8:00am to 8:00pm. Please do not run any water down your drains, including toilets, sinks, dishwashers, laundry, showers, or any other drains in your house. Using these drains during these times may cause a backup of water into your home. Thank you for your cooperation.
  • Crew will notify you as soon as service is reinstated.  

Contacts

If you have any questions or comments please contact:

Consultant: ISL Engineering 
604-371-0091  
SurreySewerReliningProgram@islengineering.com 

City of Surrey: 
May Zhang
Engineering Project Coordinator
604-591-4895
MZhang@surrey.ca