Engineering & Public Works

“To provide sustainable infrastructure, environmental leadership, and service excellence, which is essential to the health, safety, mobility, and quality of life for our community.”The division is divided into the following departments and sections:

In day-to day operations, Engineering Planning completes the design review and approval of all engineering drawings pertaining to single-family development applications, multi-family development applications and private utility designs. Aside from design reviews, they also manage submissions for Local Improvement Petitions (LIP), watercourse crossing applications and non-storm water discharge applications. Engineering Planning is responsible for monitoring the citywide water metering program and operating the various water conservation programs available for Richmond residents.

The department develops budgets and provides the long-term infrastructure planning for all underground utilities (storm drainage, water and sanitary), including private utilities (Telus, B.C. Hydro, Terasen Gas, etc.). Guided by the Flood Protection Management Strategy, they also plan and develop future dike improvements. Furthermore, they monitor the condition of roads, water, sanitary, sewer and dike networks to establish future upgrades and improvements to address population growth, climate change and ageing infrastructure.

The Engineering Department’s key functions are planning, developing and sustaining civil infrastructure. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology provides the tools for creating, managing, analyzing, and visualizing the data associated with civil infrastructure. Data helps organizations and governments work together to develop sustainable development and GIS is a key resource in supporting all phases of the infrastructure life cycle. Engineering Planning uses location intelligence for civil infrastructure as well as interfacing with other software as a resource for asset management, asset maintenance and asset benchmarking.

The department prepares drafting standards to ensure drawings meet the City’s engineering standards. Engineering Planning maintains over 100,000 engineering drawings either in paper or digital format and creates maps for clients ranging from residents to City Council.

Engineering Planning

Detailed design and project management services are provided to deliver the current year's civil infrastructure capital program in a timely fashion within approved budgets. Design includes research of current technologies to deliver cost effective capital infrastructure.

Detailed civil construction cost estimates are provided to establish capital project budgets, and for project cost control.

Engineering survey services are provided for capital project design, construction layout, construction quantity estimates, maintenance of the City of Richmond survey monument and benchmark system, and monitor of the City dyking system.

Construction inspections are provided to monitor the quality of materials and workmanship on City capital construction projects, and subdivision developments. Specialized services are also provided for closed circuit television inspection to assess installed underground pipelines, geotechnical materials testing to assess fills and pavements, and sewer flow monitoring to assess quantity of sewage discharge.

Engineering Design & Construction

Weekly curbside collection for recycling paper and newsprint, glass, plastic containers, empty aerosol cans, milk cartons, plastic/paper drink cups, spiral wound containers, and tin and aluminium containers. This program is provided to more than 72,200 residential units in single-family homes, townhomes and multi-family units.

Collection for recycling foods scraps and yard trimmings. This program is provided to residents in single-family homes and townhomes as well as multi-family complexes.

Drop-off service for products ranging from yard trimmings and household items, to hazardous materials and take-back program products. This service is available to all residents and in limited quantities for commercial operators. The Depot also sells compost bins, rain barrels, Garbage Tags and Garbage Vouchers.

Support for residential composting includes the sale of compost bins, a composting demonstration garden and related workshops. These services are available to all residents.

Bi-weekly curbside collection of garbage, not including banned items such as hazardous waste and materials that can be recycled, is available to residents in single-family homes and some townhomes.

Garbage disposal tags and vouchers for the Vancouver Landfill provide options for residents when they need to dispose of additional garbage or large items.

Residents in single-family homes, some townhomes and some multi-family complexes can arrange for collection of four large household items per year.

Through partnerships with students, teachers and the School District, Richmond sponsors educational shows, awareness programs and volunteer opportunities to increase understanding of recycling and the benefits of reducing waste.

City crews collect litter and abandoned waste from parks, bus stops, dykes and open spaces at various frequencies to meet peak seasonal demands. The City’s “Partner for Beautification” program encourages the community to become involved in litter pickup and other clean-up initiatives by “adopting” various areas throughout the City. This program goes a long way towards enhancing Richmond’s overall appearance. For more information and a complete overview of the services provided please visit: https://www.richmond.ca/services/recycling/service.htm Contacts: Environmental Programs

Mission Statement"To provide the community with quality City Buildings in a responsible manner".

The Capital Buildings Project Development department provides a corporate service for the City's accommodation needs and is responsible for the planning, design development and construction of both new and existing Community, Corporate and Operations building infrastructure.This infrastructure includes Community Centres (Arenas, Pools, Libraries, Theatres, Heritage and Museums); Community Safety Buildings (Police, Courts and Fire Rescue); Corporate (City Hall, Public Works Yard); and Operations (Workshops, Garage, Stores, Pump Stations).

The Work Control Centre is the primary contact for all building maintenance needs and emergency issues for all City owned buildings. This call centre can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:Email: [email protected]: 604-233-3307

In the case of an emergency such as broken water mains, sewer problems, downed trees on roads, traffic lights out, or icy roads, please call the City's 24 Hour City Emergency Line at 604-270-8721.

To find out how to report graffiti on City owned buildings please see the Graffiti Hotline page in the Property Bylaws section.

Facility Services

Can easily be described as a corporate "Rental Agency". The business has an income generated from monthly or hourly charges for equipment rental, equipment replacement reserves, operating expenses with a very minor annual "profit". This section manages the operational and financial aspects of the section's activities.

Provides driver training and education programs to ensure safe practices, mitigate liabilities and driver benefits through substantially reduced insurance premiums. Full commercial driver training is carried out and licensing issued as required by Provincial regulations.

Richmond’s action plan and business strategy for improving fuel efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing overall environmental impact of equipment and vehicle operations. The Green Fleet Action Plan highlights actions taken to date to reduce corporate emissions, establishes proposed reduction targets, and presents recommendations and detailed actions to achieve them. See our Green Fleet Action Plan in the Sustainability and Environment section.

Fleet Operations

Richmond recognizes the importance of creating a sustainable community. It is a core strategy for achieving our corporate vision of "being the most appealing, livable and well-managed community in Canada". Working towards sustainability means living within limits, understanding the interconnections and interdependence among the economy, society and the environment, and the equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. Our vision of a sustainable Richmond is a healthy, safe and enriched island community with an innovative and prosperous economy and thriving natural systems, sustained for current and future generations.

The long-term livability of our city depends upon our natural environment – the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the land upon which we live and grow our food. The City practices continual improvement and collaboration with other levels of government, businesses, and the Richmond community to ensure that a healthy environment exists well into the future. Examples of initiatives and policies include:

District energy utilities are systems that centralize energy production for space and water heating and, in Richmond’s case, to service mainly residential and commercial customers. The City currently operates the Alexandra District Energy Utility (ADEU) in the West Cambie neighbourhood. Using heat pumps and a network of vertical pipe loops, ADEU extracts thermal energy (heat) from the ground to supply customers with heat for their homes or businesses. During the summer, the energy flow is reversed and heat is pumped into the ground to cool homes. The City is currently investigating other areas for district energy system expansion, mainly in the City Centre area.

Sustainability & District Energy

The mandate of the Administrative Services Section is to provide support services to all Public Works personnel at the Works Yard in the following major areas:

Contact Us: Public Works Administration, Emergency Contacts

The Roads and Construction Services is divided into the following sections:

This section is also responsible to the City by providing services within the following trade disciplines:

Road Maintenance - maintains City asphalt roadways, asphalt & gravel laneways, parking lots and gravel shoulders in the following areas:

Road Construction is active in minor capital or receivable projects:

Roads and Construction Services

Sewerage & Drainage

Engineering & Public Works