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METRO VANCOUVER – Metro Vancouver’s board chair has announced he is forming a task force to conduct a review to see what options are available to complete the troubled North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program.

In October 2021 Metro Vancouver terminated its contract with Acciona Wastewater Solutions Ltd., the firm responsible for both designing and building the new treatment plant, and “has since worked diligently to find solutions for design and construction deficiencies from the previous contractor,” a Metro Vancouver release said.

“This project has experienced extraordinary circumstances that have come at an unfortunate time of extreme market volatility for Canada. This is a federally mandated project to increase the quality of wastewater treatment, which is critical to ensuring the health and safety of people and the environment and protecting the waters of Burrard Inlet. I am striking a task force to review options for delivering this key project while mitigating its potential cost impacts on the region,” Metro Vancouver board chair George Harvie said in a Sept. 29 statement.  

AECOM was tasked in June 2022 to complete the design of the plant and PCL Constructors Westcoast assumed a construction management role after Acciona was dismissed from the project.

Once built, the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant will provide tertiary treatment and is intended to serve 250,000 residents and businesses in the Districts of West and North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil‑Waututh Nation), the release said.

“As we work to define a path forward to complete this project and address deficiencies left by the previous contractor, we are unfortunately beholden to the same extremely challenging market conditions that are significantly impacting infrastructure projects throughout British Columbia and across the country,” added Metro Vancouver commissioner and CAO Jerry Dobrovolny.

Metro Vancouver will continue to work with PCL and AECOM while the task force presents the board with options over the coming months, the release said.