Bob Mackin
Metro Vancouver is still discovering deficiencies at the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant site, four years after firing Spanish construction company Acciona.
That according to a due diligence committee report to the regional district’s liquid waste committee meeting on Jan. 21.
North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant in November 2024. (Mackin)
In March 2024, Commissioner Jerry Dobrovolny announced the project would cost $3.86 billion and not be finished until 2030 — more than five times the original budget and 10 years later than promised. Dobrovolny blamed construction materials and labour inflation and the 2022 firing of original builder Acciona. The two sides are suing each other and scheduled for a B.C. Supreme Court trial in 2027.
Could costs rise again?
By the end of November, Metro Vancouver had spent $976 million. This year’s budget calls for $543 million of labour and materials.
The due diligence committee’s report said “new work appears to be of good quality and built in a safe manner.”
“Key issues being managed: addressing remaining construction deficiencies from previous contractor, transfer of major equipment contracts, interest and availability of subcontractors, impact of taxes/duties/tariffs.”
Committee members are Tim Stanley, Barry Nazar and Frank Margitan. The latter is a former Kiewit executive who had involvement in the Site C dam, Port Mann Highway 1 and Sea to Sky Highway projects.
“The project is in its early stages and to date the productivities for both the concrete and structural steel activities are achieving their targets,” said the report. “The greatest factor affecting productivity is rectifying prior work deficiencies. As the work progresses from today’s early stages we will better understand the cost versus budget and recognize any pluses or minuses.”
Who is to blame?
Premier David Eby has resisted calls for an independent investigation of Metro Vancouver in general and the NSWWTP project in specific. Metro Vancouver’s board hired consultants to review the project, but shelved that due to the court battle with Acciona.
The B.C. NDP government hired Acciona to build the new Riverview (stalewasem) Bridge to replace the Pattullo Bridge and the Broadway Subway. Both projects went over budget and off-schedule.
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