It means that two-storey residential houses can now be converted into three-storey by installing a residential storm pump that will help drain stormwater in the main municipal storm line.
Gravity causes fluid to flow downward. Municipalities provide stormwater (rainwater) and sanitary (sewage) connections. Typically, these municipal mains are located deep underground, below the minimum basement elevations (MBE). This allows stormwater and sewage to drain from the lowest level of a building by gravity. For effective drainage, you need a properly sized pipe and a slope to ensure the flow. Building codes specify how to size these drains.
In some areas, however, the municipal mains are higher than the lowest plumbing fixtures, perimeter drains, or lawn basins of a property. In such cases, connecting to the city mains directly is not possible. Thats why you not all houses are three-storey houses. But not anymore.
These changes remove barriers to development, enabling the redevelopment of properties that are hard to service and increasing the housing supply in Surrey. The new policy allows private pumping of stormwater from foundation drains into the City’s existing stormwater sewers under certain conditions.
The new policy allows private pumping of stormwater from foundation drains when no emergency gravity overflow is available, subject to certain conditions and approvals. It also lets home builders apply for exceptions to some definitions and height restrictions, enabling basement construction in areas usually limited by the local hydraulic grade line. The City’s Planning and Development Department will work with the Engineering Department to create policies and procedures to support these changes.
With these new allowances, Surrey is planning to align itself with the Provincial government’s plan of building more housing.
