VANCOUVER – Metro Vancouver’s largest capital project ever, the replacement of the Iona Wastewater Treatment Plant, is about to begin now that the initial contract is set to be awarded.
However, the first contract, $60.6 million for the plant’s preliminary design, estimated construction and operating costs, testing equipment, and consultation fees, only attracted one bidder. Despite that, the committee responsible for overseeing the project has said it is set to recommend the contract to the board on July 26.
A consortium called the Fraser Delta Group, is expected to receive the contract. The overall cost of the project is expected to come in around $10 billion.
The Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant occupies a complex site of intersecting human and ecological systems. Since the early 1900s, infrastructure in the Fraser River Estuary has disrupted natural estuary processes, directly impacting juvenile salmon and other species. The IIWWTP Projects will upgrade the existing treatment plant with a complementary range of ecological restoration projects. These projects will reconnect the river and sea, create off-channel habitats, regenerate and expand freshwater wetlands, and restore upland terrestrial habitats.
