WATER SUPPLY: Pipeline below False Creek expands Vancouver’s fire fighting capacity

Golder Associates was in charge of installing a 500-metre long pipeline below False Creek in Vancouver as part of the city’s emergency preparedness plan. The pipeline extends the city’s dedicated fire protection system across the salt-water body to Kitsilano and Fairview, ensuring these communities have water for fire-fighting purposes during an earthquake.

Originally the city had planned to build a separate pumping station in Kitsilano, but by choosing to extend the pipeline instead, it saved $6 million.

The 600-metre steel product pipeline was drilled using trenchless technology, minimizing its environmental impact and ensuring construction did not disrupt use of the public seawall, boat ramps and beaches. The pipe is tunnelled as low as 35 metres below sea level, through stable bedrock consisting of sandstone, siltstone and claystone.

Stephen Barrett, P. Eng. led the project for Golder, which was prime consultant for construction and engineering design. Levelton Engineering and Bacon Donaldson also helped with pipe and coating inspection. The pipeline was completed last summer, and the city is now in the process of connecting it up to the Kitsilano systems, with Golder doing geotechnical engineering.