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District of West Vancouver

Your nearby plumber
in West Vancouver.

From our base in North Vancouver, we repipe Poly-B homes, replace water service lines, find leaks and test backflow assemblies across West Vancouver, from Ambleside and Dundarave to the British Properties and Horseshoe Bay.

Home · Service Areas · West Vancouver

Point Atkinson Lighthouse, West Vancouver · Photo: Jonathan Pope, CC BY 2.0
West Vancouver's own water

A municipality with its own water system.

West Vancouver is the District of West Vancouver, not Vancouver's West Side. Unlike its neighbours, it does not rely on Metro Vancouver alone: the District draws water from Eagle Lake, treated at its own membrane filtration plant, from Montizambert Creek, which serves the Sunset Highlands neighbourhood, and from Metro Vancouver's Capilano and Seymour watersheds.

Every home is also on a water meter, which changes how a leak shows up. More on that below.

  • Permits taken out with the District
  • Backflow testing by a BCWWA-certified tester
  • Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Source: District of West Vancouver, 2024 Drinking Water Quality Annual Report

Metered since 2007 and 2008

On a metered home, a leak costs you money.

West Vancouver's water and sewer are fully metered and billed every quarter, based on how much you use. The meters went in during 2007 and 2008 and most sit near the property line, so every drop that leaks on your side of the meter is on your bill.

Your line, your leak

The service line runs from the property line to your home, and the District says plainly that leaks on private property are the homeowner's responsibility.

Watch the pressure

The District's own brochure notes that a large leak on the service line can lower the water pressure in your home.

What we do about it

We replace the service line from the curb stop to the house after a free assessment, repipe the home when the Poly-B inside is the cause, and on request give you a signed report documenting the leak and the repair, for a water bill adjustment.

Sources: Utility fees; Water meter brochure (August 2024); Waterworks Regulation Bylaw No. 5260, definitions and s. 6

Homes in West Vancouver

Houses, and a lot of them from the 1980s.

West Vancouver has the highest share of single-detached houses and of homes built in the 1980s of the four North Shore and Vancouver municipalities. About one in four of its homes was built between 1981 and 2000, a period that includes most of the years when Poly-B was used.

Occupied homes17,690
Single-detached houses55.6%
Apartments, 5 or more storeys21.5%
Built 1981 to 199014.5%
Built 1981 to 200025.9%
Built 1961 to 198032.8%

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population (occupied private dwellings), compared with the City and District of North Vancouver and the City of Vancouver.

Prices and financing: the Poly-B replacement page has our price ranges, what moves the price, and monthly payments through iFinance. Every job gets a fixed written quote first.
West Vancouver rules, explained

Permits, inspections and backflow in the District.

Plain-language summaries of the official rules, each with its source. Always check the current version for your property.

Permits

A permit for any plumbing change

The District's building bylaw requires a permit to install a plumbing system or to alter or add to one. Mechanical permits are taken out by a provincially qualified contractor, unless the owner satisfies the mechanical inspector that they can do the work.

Sources: Building Bylaw No. 5340, s. 7.1 and 14; Mechanical permits
Contractors

A West Vancouver or inter-municipal licence

Contractors working in West Vancouver need a West Vancouver business licence, and businesses based in North Vancouver need a valid inter-municipal licence through their own municipality.

Source: Mechanical permits
Inspections

Water pipes tested and visible first

All drain, waste and vent pipes and all water pipes must be tested and left visible for inspection, and that inspection must pass before the framing inspection can be called. On a repipe, we plan the access openings around it.

Source: Mechanical permits; Inspections
Backflow

Lawn sprinkler backflow preventers need a permit

Installing or altering a backflow preventer in a lawn sprinkler system needs a permit and an inspection after it is installed. The District publishes a test report form for backflow assemblies, such as irrigation and pool connections, and we send the completed report to its permits office. Reza is a BCWWA-certified backflow assembly tester.

Sources: Building Bylaw No. 5340, s. 7.1(i) and 14.11(e); Mechanical permits
A West Vancouver job

Poly-B repiping in Hollyburn.

Poly-B repiping in Hollyburn, West Vancouver. These project photos show existing and replacement water lines, pipe routing and under-sink connections.

Grey Poly-B water lines in a ceiling opening before a repipe in Hollyburn, West Vancouver
BeforeExisting grey water lines exposed through a ceiling access opening.
Red and blue replacement water lines in the same ceiling section, Hollyburn, West Vancouver
AfterReplacement red and blue water lines in the matching ceiling section, before closure.
Replacement water lines routed through ceiling framing, Hollyburn, West Vancouver
RoutingReplacement water-line routing through ceiling framing.
Under-sink water lines, shut-offs and drain connections after a repipe in Hollyburn, West Vancouver
Under the sinkUnder-sink water lines, shutoffs and drain connections.
West Vancouver, answered

Questions West Vancouver homeowners ask us.

Is West Vancouver the same as Vancouver's West Side?

No. West Vancouver is its own municipality, the District of West Vancouver, on the North Shore across the Lions Gate Bridge from Vancouver. Vancouver's West Side (Kitsilano, West Point Grey, Dunbar and so on) is part of the City of Vancouver, with different permits and water rules.

Who is responsible for the water line to my house in West Vancouver?

The District looks after the water service from the main to the curb stop, including the meter. The waterline from the curb stop to your house is on your side, and the District's meter brochure is clear that leaks on private property are the homeowner's responsibility. We replace water service lines, after a free assessment.

Can my water bill show a hidden leak?

Often, yes. West Vancouver is fully metered and billed every quarter, so water lost to a leak on your side of the meter is water you pay for. The District's brochure notes that a large leak on the service line can also lower your water pressure. If your bill or your pressure changes without a reason, book a free assessment of your water line.

Do I need a permit for a lawn sprinkler backflow preventer in West Vancouver?

Yes. The District's building bylaw requires a permit to install or alter a backflow preventer in a lawn sprinkler system, and an inspection after it is installed. Reza is a BCWWA-certified backflow assembly tester, and we submit test reports according to the District's requirements.

Do I need a permit to repipe my home in West Vancouver?

Yes. The District requires a permit to install, alter or add to a plumbing system, and its mechanical permits are taken out by a provincially qualified contractor unless the inspector accepts that the owner can do the work. The water pipes must be tested and left visible for inspection before the framing inspection.

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