Settlement reached in legal fight over pricey B.C. wastewater treatment facility

The container ship Ballenita passes under the Lions Gate Bridge after leaving port, in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, May 18, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Lawsuits between Metro Vancouver and the original contractor of a wastewater treatment facility on the North Shore where costs ballooned to billions of dollars have been dropped as the two sides reached a settlement.

A joint statement from Metro Vancouver and Acciona Wastewater Solutions says they have gone through mediation and reached an agreement with the company paying $235 million to Metro Vancouver, resolving lawsuits filed by both sides.

A timeline provided by Metro Vancouver for the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program says in 2013 it was forecast to cost $700 million, but the current estimate is $3.86 billion.

Metro Vancouver has extended completion to 2030 amid significant reworking required “to address design and construction deficiencies,” inflation, market conditions, and competition for skilled labour and materials from other major infrastructure projects in the province.

The increasing cost has led to public outcry and in 2025 the board of directors put an independent review of the program on hold, saying at the time that it was not in the public interest while litigation was ongoing.

Metro Vancouver says in a separate statement that the review can now proceed.

“The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program is one of the most important projects currently underway for the health and well-being of this region, and we are very aware of residents’ concerns about the project,” board chair Mike Hurley said in the statement.

“It is important to us at Metro Vancouver to have a thorough, independent review of this project so our residents get the transparency they deserve and Metro Vancouver can continue to strengthen delivery of our critical infrastructure projects.”

The dispute was scheduled to go to trial in March 2027.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2026.