The construction of a new Lions Gate secondary wastewater treatment plant is the top priority in Metro Vancouver for funding under the federal government’s recently announced National Building Canada Fund.
“KPMG undertook a detailed value for money analysis of potential procurement options for us,” said Darrell Mussatto. chair of Metro Vancouver’s Utilities Committee.
This analysis included traditional design-bid-build, design-build-finance (DBF) and public-private partnerships, which are design-build-finance-operate-maintain.
“Their analysis confirms that the design-build-finance approach provides the best value. This approach allows us to contract with a single entity for design and construction of the plant and includes longer holdback and extended warranty provisions for additional security.”
The $700 million Lions Gate Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant will be located on a 3.5 hectare site about two kilometres east of the Lions Gate Bridge and the existing Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Metro Vancouver announced in January that the design of the plant has been completed, with input from North Shore communities.
The construction of the new secondary wastewater treatment plant will include:
- Full enclosure with a robust two-stage odour control technology;
- Aesthetically integrated into the surrounding community;
- Resource recovery including energy from treated wastewater and digested solids, and reclaimed water;
Design that can respond to natural disasters, rising sea levels, population growth and changing regulatory requirements;
- Educational and community space for the public to learn more about wastewater treatment and water management, and community use; and
- Indoor and outdoor public space.
The key objective for wastewater treatment is to meet the requirements for secondary level treatment as defined in the new Government of Canada Wastewater System Effluent Regulations and specified by the B.C. Ministry of Environment.
The Federal wastewater regulations enacted in 2012 require a secondary treatment facility for North Shore communities by 2020.
The new facility will replace the existing plant, which is a primary treatment facility that has been in operation since 1961.
The role of primary treatment in the new plant will be to remove suspended solids in the wastewater, as this material is a concentrated source of organic matter with high energy potential. Secondary treatment is designed to remove materials that pass through the primary treatment.
The existing facility serves West Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver, as well as the Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
The existing plant will continue in full operation until the new Lions Gate secondary wastewater treatment plant is commissioned and operating.
Procurement for the design and construction phase of the facility is scheduled to start in 2014.
Construction and commissioning is to take place between 2017 and December 31, 2020.
The Metro Vancouver board will pursue a Design-Build-finance procurement process for the project. Under the DBF model, Metro Vancouver would maintain and operate the new plant.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper released details of the new $53 billion Building Canada Plan on Feb. 13.
The plan will invest $14 billion over 10 years for a new Building Canada Fund, which will support major economic projects with national, regional and local significance.
The $9 billion Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component of the fund includes: highways and major roads; public transit; drinking water; wastewater; solid waste management; green energy; brownfield redevelopment; disaster mitigation infrastructure; local and regional airports; short-line rail; short-sea shipping and northern infrastructure.
The government is committed to launching the new Fund by March 31.
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