You are here:

Home
Water Resources

Water Resources Engineering.

Local, Established, Qualified Problem-Solvers.

From watershed assessments to site-specific improvements, we have delivered solutions to support some of the biggest challenges facing your community. McElhanney’s experience in planning, design, and construction services covers the entire water cycle. Committed to our people, our clients, and our partners, our team continually adapts to suit today’s end-user – delivering the right solution for your water engineering project.

For the perfect fit, contact your local McElhanney office.

Learn about some of McElhanney’s recent projects:

River and Hydrotechnical Engineering

Bow River 2-Dimensional Flood Modeling and Mapping

McElhanney used hydraulic modeling to complete flood modeling and mapping of the Bow River in Canmore, Alberta.

Province-Wide Hydrotechnical Services

McElhanney assists BC MoTI with river and hydrotechnical engineering services for various bridge, culverts, and bank stabilization projects on 40+ sites.

Anderson Creek Fishway: Small Fishway, Big Impact

McElhanney was tasked with designing the Anderson Creek fishway to allow salmon to bypass a bridge apron that has deteriorated into a 3m concrete weir.

Nechako River Ice Jam Emergency Response

In December, 2007 the City of Prince George experienced a rapid cold snap which resulted in an ice jam on the Nechako River. A 66-day long local state of emergency was declared and over 100 residents were evacuated from their homes.

Water Management for the Salmon River Dam Decommissioning

During the summer of 2017, BC Hydro’s 60-year old creosote timber dam was completely removed from the Salmon River on Vancouver Island, and the site was re-naturalized. McElhanney designed bypass channels, cofferdams, and river diversion works to use as small a footprint as possible in this narrow and hectic worksite.

Infrastructure Planning and Renewal

Map of Metro Van Combined Trunk Sewer Separation — Details

Metro Vancouver Combined Trunk Sewer Separation

McElhanney completed numerous combined trunk sewer separations strategies over the past seven years for Metro Vancouver.

City of Vancouver Southlands Drainage Study

Due to ongoing drainage issues, the City of Vancouver hired McElhanney to help make improvements to the Southlands drainage network.

Spitzee Crossing Functional Servicing Plan

McElhanney was engaged to undertake a functional servicing study for the Spitzee Crossing in High River, AB.

City of Vancouver Utility Planning Services

McElhanney worked with the City of Vancouver to analyze overland flow paths in the Broadway Plan Area through a 2D hydrologic-hydraulic model.

View Royal Sanitary Master Plan

The Town of View Royal’s sanitary sewer master plan was last updated in 2005. Since then, the region has undergone significant growth, and their plan and systems need to be upgraded. Currently their sanitary sewer system is comprised of a gravity collection pipe network and 17 pumping stations. View Royal hired McElhanney to update past system models to reflect current operating conditions, to assess existing system conditions and service life, and prepare a capital plan list to help the town prioritize short-term and long-term upgrades.

Uplands Combined Sewer Separation

The Uplands is a 400-unit subdivision in the District of Oak Bay, and was originally developed in the early 1900s. The District hired McElhanney to develop six options for separate sewer and stormwater systems with service to each residence in the Uplands. The District’s primary goal is to eliminate combined system overflows to the ocean, and reduce overall volume to the CRD system. McElhanney created and documented each option with enough detail to allow for public review and a council decision on the preferred option.

Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure

City of Vancouver Southlands Drainage Study

Due to ongoing drainage issues, the City of Vancouver hired McElhanney to help make improvements to the Southlands drainage network.

Town of Sylvan Lake Stormwater Management Plan

McElhanney provided an affordable and actionable plan that identified and addressed Sylvan Lake’s stormwater issues, and offered a phased road map and costing strategies to complete the work over the next 20 years.

Southwest Yorkson Stormwater Detention System

McElhanney designed a 21,200m3 stormwater detention system for the Southwest Yorkson neighbouthood of Langley, BC. Due to land constraints, McElhanney proposed a non-traditional solution where the stormwater detention system was installed below sports fields in tanks.

Newton Town Centre Stormwater Detention Pond

In 2015 the City of Surrey needed a stormwater detention facility in Newton to accommodate future and existing development, improve water quality, and mitigate erosion within Hyland Creek.

Water and Wastewater Facilities

White Rock Arsenic and Manganese Water Treatment Project — Details

White Rock Water Treatment Plant

McElhanney supported all aspects of project execution and commissioning for the City of White Rock’s water treatment plant.

Fortress Mountain Resort Water Treatment / Sewer System Renovations

In 2015, McElhanney assisted with improvements on the existing water infrastrucrure at Fortress Mountain to meet new permitting requirements.

First Nations #468 Water Reservoir and Pump Station

McElhanney completed an economic master sustainability study which reccomended providing water & wastewater servicing via a pump station.

Lift Station in High River, Alberta — Details

High River Lift Station Upgrades

The budget-friendly re-design included a much-needed new bypass around the lift station for emergency or other temporary use. Through intricate design, the team managed to tie it in with existing, unused infrastructure to save the Town added expense.

Contact your local experts:

– Brandon Walker, PEng, Division Manager, Water Resource Engineering (Vancouver, BC)

“The McElhanney Water Resources team is home to some of Western Canada’s most trusted professionals in hydrology and hydraulics, water and sewer network engineering, and stormwater management. In partnership with our in-house experts in geomatics, construction services, environmental, landscape architecture, and planning, we deliver practical solutions that get built every day. We pride ourselves in our deeply rooted local knowledge of the water systems flowing through the communities we live in: your challenge is our passion.”