Micro-tunneling helps Vancouver modernize aging sewer infrastructure
(UI) — The City of Vancouver has completed its first sewer infrastructure renewal project using micro-tunneling, demonstrating how trenchless construction can modernize aging underground utilities while minimizing surface disruption in dense urban environments.
The Memorial West Trenchless Sewer Upgrade replaced aging combined sewers with separate sanitary and storm sewer systems beneath a city park, Journal of Commerce reported. The project used a remote-controlled micro-tunnel boring machine (MTBM) to install new storm sewer infrastructure, followed by slip-lining to rehabilitate existing sewer pipes, reducing the need for extensive open-cut excavation.
City officials selected trenchless construction after evaluating multiple installation methods for the constrained site. The approach preserved park features, reduced impacts to trees and pathways, and helped expand sewer capacity while reducing the risk of combined sewer overflows. According to Journal of Commerce, nearly 90% of the surrounding sewer infrastructure was more than 90 years old.
Completed in spring 2026, the project supports Vancouver's Healthy Waters Plan and earned a 2026 Association of Consulting Engineering Companies British Columbia Award of Excellence. City officials said the successful use of micro-tunneling could influence future sewer separation projects across Vancouver.
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