Salmon River Uplands - Water and Sewer

Most people think that roads are what enable urban sprawl, but it is actually water and sewer lines that play a larger role. I was reading a report on a proposed subdivision at 5342 236 Street in the Salmon River Uplands area in the Township of Langley that got me thinking about this. One of the limiting factors in the proposed subdivision was around the use of well water in the ever shrinking Hopington Aquifer. Salmon River Uplands is a rural area that is outside of the ALR in the Township of Langley. The majority of the area does not have municipal water service available and a good chunk does not have sanitary sewer access. Beside zoning, the major fact that is preventing growth in this area is the lack of municipal water and sewer which cost a lot of money to provide.

Water and Sewer Mains in Salmon River Uplands

Metro Vancouver actually uses the provisioning of sewer mains as one of the tools to prevent urban sprawl, but Salmon River Uploads is part of a future sewer extension area. As municipal services become available throughout all of Salmon River Uplands, I know there will be huge pressure to turn this area into a suburb. I'm not against adding municipal services to this area as it should help out the Hopington Aquifer, but Township Council will have to be firmly committed to seeing this area stay rural.