For additional timeline details visit Metro Vancouver’s project page: North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program.
- November 27, 2006: The City of North Vancouver Council voted to urge the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) to upgrade the Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant within the next ten years, and implement immediate environmental impact studies.
- May 25, 2009: The City of North Vancouver Council voted to urge Metro Vancouver to revise the Metro Vancouver Draft Liquid Waste Management Plan to include a secondary sewage treatment plant for the North Shore by 2020, subject to senior government cost sharing; urge the Provincial and Federal governments to each provide 1/3 funding for the new treatment plant; and encourage Metro Vancouver to begin Integrated Resource Management Planning in cooperation with the three North Shore Municipalities. Download the Council meeting minutes PDF for more details, see pg. 19.
- September 20, 2010: The City of North Vancouver Council voted to endorse Metro Vancouver’s Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan, subject to fair cost sharing practices and equitable distribution of funding from municipal and senior governments. Download the Council meeting minutes PDF for more details, see pg. 17.
- Early 2012: Metro Vancouver began an engagement process with the community, First Nations, and other interested parties to start the design process and to establish the Lions Gate Public Advisory Committee, which will represent the interests of local residents, North Shore businesses and environmental groups.
- November 15, 2013: Metro Vancouver provided a cost estimate of $700 million, with construction beginning 2014 and completing by 2020.
- April 2015: A letter from four North Shore MLAs to the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure acknowledged that Metro Vancouver committed to a 1/3 share of the projected $700M cost.
- March 31, 2017: Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD) Board approved award of contract to Acciona Wastewater Solutions LP.
- February 26, 2021: Metro Vancouver released a revised cost estimate of $1.058 billion with a completion date of 2024.
- October 15, 2021: Metro Vancouver initiated termination process for contract with Acciona Wastewater Solutions LP and began procurement process for an alternate contractor.
- September 2021: The City of North Vancouver Council voted to endorse a 30-year amortization term for Metro Vancouver’s debt financing of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant and to forward the resolution to Metro Vancouver with the following request, “that Metro Vancouver endeavour to ensure the North Shore is not adversely impacted by this decision and that the sewerage areas serviced by the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District are treated equitably through any future changes in financial policy and the Cost Allocation Formula.”
- October 28, 2021: The three North Shore municipalities issued a joint letter to the Chair of Metro Vancouver with asks including improved transparency and access to financial information, “so that North Shore municipalities can understand and plan for the financial impacts of construction, operation, maintenance” as well as a request for resumption of the oversight committee discontinued in 2018.
- March 22, 2024: Metro Vancouver announced a project estimate increase to $3.86 billion and a completion date of 2030. Mayor and Council voted to issue a public statement responding to the issue.
- May 28, 2024: The three North Shore municipalities issued a joint letter to members of the Board of Metro Vancouver highlighting challenges with the proposed cost allocation, which unduly impacts their constituents.
- June 17, 2024: The City of North Vancouver Council voted to file a formal complaint to Metro Vancouver regarding the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant process and costs and called for an independent public review of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant process and costs.
- June 19, 2024: Mayor Buchanan issued a public statement on behalf of Council outlining the complaint.
- July 10, 2024: Mayor Buchanan issued a letter to the Chair of Metro Vancouver on behalf of Council in response to the approval of the cost allocation and phasing framework for the $2.8 billion increase to the NSWWTP Program Budget calling on the Metro Vancouver Board to conduct an external independent audit.
- August 19, 2024: The three North Shore municipalities issued a joint letter to the Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board calling for an independent review of the project including “a review of the executive, administration and operational actions and decisions that have been made by Metro Vancouver in relation to the Project," as well as a review of the cost allocation formula, which disproportionately impacts North Shore residents.
- February 2025: Metro Vancouver appointed former B.C. Deputy Finance Minister Peter Milburn to lead an independent audit of the project. Milburn is known for his role in the Site C Dam and the Kicking Horse Canyon reviews, where he conducted thorough evaluations of budget escalations and governance structures.
- February 28, 2025: Mayor Buchanan issued a letter to the Chair of Metro Vancouver on behalf of Council, acknowledging their intention to have the MWGK Independent Review Team perform an audit, and requesting that the process include interviews with the three North Shore municipality CAOs.
- July 2025: The Metro Vancouver Board voted to pause the audit until legal disputes with the project's original contractor, Acciona Wastewater Solutions, are resolved.
- March 1, 2026: The City of North Vancouver Council passed a motion endorsing a joint letter to Premier Eby calling for an independent provincial review of Metro Vancouver governance and the NSWWTP. Council also endorsed a public statement in conjunction with District of North Vancouver’s Mayor and Council.
- March 5, 2026: Joint statement released by District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little and City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan: Mayors call for BC to act on wastewater plant.
- April 13, 2026: The City of North Vancouver Council voted to endorse a 30-year amortization for Metro Vancouver’s debt financing of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, and to request that “Metro Vancouver endeavour to ensure the North Shore is not adversely impacted by this decision and that the sewerage areas serviced by the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District are treated equitably through any future changes in financial policy and the Cost Allocation Formula.” Download the Council meeting minutes for details, see pg. 6 and 7.
- April 28, 2026: City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan and District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little release a follow-up joint statement to Premier Eby.
This summary outlines what is currently known about the costs, funding, and regional impacts of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant project.
| Key facts (as of end of 2025) |
Amount |
| Original budget in 2014 |
$700 million |
| Senior government funding secured in 2017 |
$405 million |
| Initial costs to the region |
$295 million |
| Revised budget in 2021 |
$1.06 billion |
| Additional cost to region, added in 2021 |
$358 million |
| Reset budget in 2024 |
$3.86 billion |
| Additional cost to region, added in 2025 |
$2.8 billion |
| Total costs to the region based on reset budget (total budget minus senior government contribution) |
$3.45 billion |
| 2026 CURRENT TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET |
$3.86 billion |
The total project budget includes senior government funding; the “cost to the region” reflects the portion paid by Metro Vancouver ratepayers.
The following list outlines the missing information that prevents North Shore municipalities from understanding the full scope of the financial impacts of the project.
| Key facts (as of end of 2025) |
Amount |
| Detailed cost breakdown |
? |
| Amount spent to end of 2025 |
? |
| Forecast to complete |
? |
| Funding shares by sewerage area |
? |
| Additional costs and impacts (1) |
? |
| Household impacts at completion (1) |
? |
Note 1: Metro Vancouver provided preliminary household impact estimates for the North Shore at the time of the 2024 reset ($997 per year for 30 years, or $1,182 for 15 years); however, final household costs at completion remain unknown.
North Shore municipalities have repeatedly requested additional information on the impacts from the NSWWTP project, including the 10-year outlook by sewerage area, to understand what the North Shore’s total cost for liquid waste services will be once all wastewater treatment plants are upgraded.
There are many unknowns, including additional costs to remediate the old site, estimated debt levels and operating and maintenance costs at project completion, and when annual debt payments stop.
In the table below, staff from the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver have compiled financial information from Metro Vancouver related to the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, based on what is currently available to us. This information comes from Metro Vancouver presentations, Board meeting minutes, and emails exchanged with Metro Vancouver finance staff. The figures may change as additional information is provided.
North Shore municipalities have repeatedly asked Metro Vancouver for more detailed information about the impacts of the project, including a 10 year financial outlook by sewerage area. This information is needed to understand the North Shore’s total future costs for liquid waste services once all wastewater treatment plants are upgraded. At the February 27, 2026 MVRD Board meeting, it was disclosed that the GVS&DD Board passed resolutions at its November 28, 2025 meeting calling for “a comprehensive long range financial plan of at least ten years, outlining projected capital requirements, operating impacts, financing strategies, and rate implications.” To date, a 10 year outlook for the North Shore Sewerage Area has not been provided. As a result, significant uncertainties remain, including the cost to remediate the old site, expected debt levels, future operating and maintenance costs once the project is complete, and when annual debt payments will end.
Green: Confirmed numbers received from Metro Vancouver
Grey: Numbers that we have not received
Notes:
(1) Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District (GVS&DD) declared value of construction at building permit issuance in February 2026. (DNV.org permit #BLD2025-0035)
(2) Land for the project was acquired in 2008. The acquisition cost has not been disclosed in Metro Vancouver public documents.
(3) In March of 2017, it was announced that Metro Vancouver received up to $212.3 million in federal government funding and $193 million in provincial government funding towards construction of the new plant. (New Lions Gate Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant to support cleaner waterways in Metro Vancouver - Canada.ca)
(4) Metro Vancouver's 2024 Financial Statements indicate "Construction in progress includes $711.0 million (2023-$609.1 million) related to the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Project". (Metro Vancouver Audited Financial Statements 2024 page 35)