FAQ

Raising the dike along Lulu Island is necessary to provide immediate flood protection from climate change induced sea level rise, king tides, storm surges and freshets.

Once the Steveston Island Dike is constructed, it will be the primary form of flood protection for the Steveston and London Landing areas. The Lulu Island dike will then function as a secondary dike and provide flood protection against sea level rise. 

The City needs to raise dike elevations to accommodate climate change induced sea level rise, king tides, storm surges and freshets. According to the Government of British Columbia, sea levels are expected to rise approximately 50 centimetres over the next 30 years and 1 metre in 80 years. Many factors contribute to sea level rise, so it is difficult to predict when these changes will happen. To provide an additional level of protection, Richmond is considering expected long-term additional sea level rise (i.e., 2 m+) during the design of dike upgrades.

Richmond is accelerating the dike upgrade and raising program over the next 50 years to provide additional flood resilience in advance of current sea level rise projections and increasing flood events expected along the Fraser River due to climate change. Richmond is gradually increasing the flood protection utility fee paid by property owners to fund the expedited improvement program. Under the updated fee structure, property owners with higher value assets and a greater demand on the drainage system will be contributing more towards flood protection. This structure accounts for the fact that all residents benefit from flood protection – including the protection of shared community assets and infrastructure – while recognizing the large variations in parcel size and assessed value that occur across the city.

When a waterfront property is developed, there is an opportunity to build the property to the target dike elevation, creating a "superdike". This strategy strengthens the dike while providing protection to infrastructure behind the dike. When a City lot is redeveloped, the owner is required to build the building to or above the Flood Construction Level. This strategy elevates redeveloped areas out of the flood plain.

The City maintains a proactive drainage program which includes 581 km of pipes, 39 drainage pump stations, 61 km of culverts, and 165 km of watercourses. The City is prepared to mitigate the impacts of climate change through pump station upgrades, storm sewer maintenance and upgrades, laneway drainage, agricultural drainage, agricultural irrigation, and implementation of stormwater retention infrastructure.