Energy and sustainability ·
FortisBC schedules two-week hydrotest on Coquitlam gas pipeline
By Workvado / Litequo LLC · Published · Updated
A notice posted October 22 sets out a planned integrity test for about three kilometres of new pipeline, with route and trail closures during testing.
FortisBC posted an October 22 notice saying crews would begin hydrostatic testing as early as October 25 on approximately three kilometres of new natural-gas pipeline in Coquitlam’s Eagle Mountain area. The company said the test involves filling the pipe with water and then drying it before the pipeline is placed into service. The notice describes planned activity and an expected schedule; it does not confirm that the test began on October 25 or that it has been completed.
Testing before service
FortisBC expected the work to take about two weeks, with some activities and equipment operating 24 hours a day, and said additional time might be required. For public safety, the pipeline route and nearby trails were to be closed during testing, with users asked to follow posted signs. The notice does not identify the test pressure, water volume, discharge plan or contractor performing the work. Those details should not be inferred from the general description of a hydrostatic test.
The planned segment is part of the Eagle Mountain–Woodfibre Gas Pipeline project, a larger expansion between Squamish and Coquitlam that includes pipeline and compressor infrastructure. The Coquitlam work is described as a new line near Eagle Mountain and is distinct from other project testing in Squamish. Keeping the local segment and the overall pipeline program separate matters for residents and contractors: a two-week notice for this test does not define the schedule or completion status of every project component.
Implications for nearby work
For contractors working near the route, the notice is chiefly an access and coordination signal. Trail closures may affect worksite approaches, survey access, recreational interfaces and deliveries, while round-the-clock equipment operation can create activity outside conventional daytime shifts. Crews should use the posted closure map and site signs to determine where exclusion zones apply; the announcement does not specify alternate routes or exact closure boundaries. A contractor should coordinate with FortisBC before entering a restricted area or planning work that depends on shared access.
Hydrostatic testing is used to verify pipeline integrity by exposing a filled pipe to controlled pressure, but this announcement does not provide engineering values or acceptance criteria. The operator’s procedures, regulator requirements and project-specific test plan govern those details. For subcontractors, the key planning interfaces are safe isolation, access control, water handling, drying, inspection and turnover before the line is commissioned. These are work-package considerations, not a report of any defect or failed test.
The project notice says the testing is intended to support integrity and regulatory compliance before service. It does not announce a change in authorization, a new energy supply contract or a confirmed in-service date. Contractors and nearby residents can monitor the project page for schedule revisions and reopening notices. Until FortisBC reports completion, the appropriate status is planned testing, with approximately two weeks anticipated and the possibility of extension.
- Notice date
- October 22, 2026
- Pipeline segment
- Approximately 3 km in Coquitlam’s Eagle Mountain area
- Expected test duration
- About 2 weeks; additional time may be required
Sources
- Eagle Mountain–Woodfibre Gas Pipeline Project: Pipeline testing in Coquitlam, FortisBC Talking Energy, read October 27, 2026