Sewer connection grants in Burnaby and Coquitlam

Which Lower Mainland cities pay toward a new sewer connection?

As of November 2026, Burnaby and Coquitlam each have one. Burnaby helps with upgrading old combined sewer connections. Coquitlam is running a pilot for replacing old sanitary sewer pipe on private property. Both are set by the cities and can change or close, so check the city’s page and call before any work is booked.

What does Burnaby’s grant pay for?

Burnaby offers eligible homeowners a grant of up to $2,500 toward upgrading a combined sewer connection. That is the pipe that runs from the house to the street when it carries both sewage and rainwater in one line. Burnaby has been building separate storm and sanitary lines in the street, and each house then needs its own connection upgraded to match. The City’s diagrams show this work shared between the homeowner and the City.

Burnaby says only about 7% of its sewers still need separating, mainly in the Burnaby Heights and Glenbrook neighbourhoods. If you live there, ask the City whether your property qualifies.

How do you apply for the Burnaby grant?

The City’s page doesn’t list the steps, so call Burnaby Engineering at 604-294-7460 before booking anything. Ask whether your property qualifies, what the City needs to see before and after the work, and whether a permit is needed. Get the answers in writing if you can.

Who qualifies for Coquitlam’s Sanitary Connection Grant?

Coquitlam’s grant is a pilot. The City of Coquitlam says its first phase covers properties fronting part of Chapman Avenue, in the Stoney Creek area. To qualify:

• The property has to be inside the pilot area.
• The sanitary sewer pipe (the lateral) has to be at least 30 years old.
• The work has to be replacing the lateral between the property line and the house.
• The property can’t have an active development application.

The grant is a one-time payment of up to $2,000.

How do you apply in Coquitlam?

Coquitlam lays out these steps when the owner starts the work:

1. Call Engineering and Public Works at 604-927-3500 to confirm the property qualifies.
2. Apply for a plumbing permit. Only the minimum fee applies.
3. Book a contractor to replace the pipe.
4. Ask the City’s plumbing department to inspect the work.
5. Email the inspection report and the contractor’s paid invoice to the City, with the property address.

There is a second route too. When the City replaces its own part of the connection, it may offer to replace the private part at the same time. The City works out the scope and the owner’s share case by case, and the owner pays a discounted one-time amount.

How do you know if your sewer pipe needs replacing?

A camera inspection tells you. Old clay and concrete sewer pipe cracks, shifts at the joints and lets roots in, and you can’t see any of that from the yard. Signs that point to it:

• More than one drain backing up, or the basement floor drain gurgling.
• Blockages that come back after the line has been cleared.
• Roots pulled out of the line on the last cleaning.
• An older house that still has its original sewer line.

Our guides on tree roots in a sewer line and sewer camera inspections explain what the camera shows.

Does the grant cover the whole cost?

Usually not. Both are capped, at $2,500 in Burnaby and $2,000 in Coquitlam, and the cost of the work depends on the length and depth of the pipe and what sits on top of it. Ask for a written quote first, and keep the paid invoice, since Coquitlam asks for it with the application.

When to call a plumber

Call a plumber when:

• The city has confirmed you qualify and you need the pipe replaced.
• You want a camera inspection to see whether the pipe needs replacing at all.
• Drains keep backing up and you don’t know which part of the line is at fault.

DrainX inspects sewer lines with a camera, shows you the footage, and repairs or replaces old pipe. Tell us which city you’re in and whether the City has contacted you about a grant, and we’ll go over what the work involves before it starts.