Ground has been broken on the North Shore Waste Water Treatment Plant (NSWTP), a new facility that will replace the existing 50 year old plus Lions Gate Wastewater treatment Plant. New federal regulations require that all Canadian wastewater treatment plants provide primary and secondary treatment to improve water quality and safety.

The $700 million project is being undertaken by ADAPT consortium, who was the successful proponent in April 2017. The consortium consists of Acciona Construction, Dialog Design, Amec Foster Wheeler (now Wood), and TetraTech. The project is using a Design Build Finance procurement approach.

The contract includes the design, build and construction financing for the NSWWTP, which will have a state-of-the-art secondary treatment and energy recovery facilities. The new plant will be built to LEED standards on a very compact site. Much of it will be buried underground. Its design incorporates energy efficiency and recovery solutions, water conservation and reuse, on-site storm water management and measures to minimize waste generation.

“The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant is a win-win on all fronts. Not only will it provide a critical utility service, but it will use advanced technology to contribute renewable energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The new plant’s clean architectural design will integrate well into the neighbourhood and will bring new amenities to enhance the local community,” said Darrell Mussatto, Mayor of the City of North Vancouver.

Upon completion, key features will include:

• Capable of treating 102 million litres/day under normal conditions and up to 320 million litre/day when storm water enters the sewer system in wet weather.
• The plant will be built to LEED and Envision Gold Standards.
• The design of the plant will incorporate energy efficiency and recovery solutions water conservation and reuse, on-site storm water management and measures to minimize waste generation. The biogas generated from the treatment of the wastewater will be used to generate electricity to run the plant and heat the facility.
• The heat recovery facility is projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7,200 tonnes per year.
• Rigorous heating, ventilation and odour control system that will capture air from the processes inside the building and clean it prior to releasing it into the atmosphere. Odour will be virtually undectable.
• Integration of interpretive elements, flexible community spaces and amenities
• Working towards returning all elements of liquid waste to the environment in a way that is protective of our waterways.
• The plant has been designed to include integrated resource recovery using sustainable principles

The project is expected to be completed in December 2020. The existing waste-water treatment plant will be decommissioned beginning in 2021 and the land, which is leased, turned over to the Squamish Nation.