Surrey councillor says premier ‘abandoning’ review into overbudget treatment plant

When Surrey Coun. Linda Annis announced her mayoral campaign last week, she took aim at Metro Vancouver costs and vowed an independent review and audit of the “failed” North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Project.

On Tuesday, Annis joined two other regional politicians in criticizing B.C. Premier David Eby for “quietly abandoning” a review into the project that is an estimated $3 billion over budget and years behind scheduled, she said.

Annis co-signed a news release with New Westminster Coun. Daniel Fontaine and Richmond Coun. Kash Heed – both of whom are also planning to run for mayor in their cities – saying they received a letter on Sept. 5 from assistant deputy minister Tara Faganello that states the province will wait until after litigation finishes between contractor Acciona and Metro Vancouver, the regional government in charge of the project. Acciona is suing the regional government for $250 million.

“We’ve now seen the letter, and it confirms what we feared – Premier Eby has quietly backed away from his commitment to transparency,” said Annis in the statement. “This project is over $3 billion off the rails, and instead of taking action, the Province is washing its hands of responsibility. That’s just not acceptable.”

An independent review of the project that was ordered in June 2024 was put on pause by Metro Vancouver in July of this year due to the litigation. The public was not allowed to see who voted in favour of pausing the review of the project.

“After careful consideration, the board has decided the public interest is best served by resolving the legal dispute with the previous contractor before undertaking the review,” said Metro Vancouver Board Chair Mike Hurley at the time.

The treatment plant was original budgeted at $700 million and was designed to replace the Lions Gate plant.

The Metro Vancouver sewer levy for Surrey recently jumped by 37.6 per cent and an estimated 76 per cent of the increase is aimed at funding the treatment plant project. 

Metro Vancouver is building the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, a new treatment facility that will provide tertiary filtration to better protect the environment and meet the needs of a growing region.​

Also included in the p​rogram are:​

• The pump station and sewer pipes to serve the new plant (the Conveyance Project)
• The preliminary design for decommissioning the existing Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant​

The new North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant will serve over 300,000 residents and businesses in the Districts of North and West Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). It will replace the existing Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant on the North Shore, one of the last plants on the west coast of Canada and the United States to provide only primary level wastewater treatment.

The updated program cost is $3.86 billion. This includes construction of the new North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, construction of related conveyance infrastructure, and preliminary design for decommissioning the current Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Construction and commissioning of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant is expected to be complete in 2030, with minor connecting works in subsequent years. Decommissioning and remediation of the current Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant site will follow.​