Jacobs, operating under a joint venture with AECOM, was selected to design Metro Vancouver's multi-year program to upgrade the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. One of Canada's most transformative programs, upgrading and expanding the current treatment plant will enhance water quality allowing the plant to serve nearly one million people by 2051.
The program includes transforming the over 60-year-old wastewater plant from primary treatment to a tertiary treatment facility, providing protection of public health and delivering significant environmental benefits to the receiving waters of the Salish Sea.
"In the midst of increased demand fueled by population growth, more stringent regulatory discharge requirements, and the need for operational efficiencies, new and innovative ways of expanding wastewater system capacity continue to emerge," said Jacobs Senior Vice President Katus Watson. "All water has value and can be recovered and revitalized. This is critical to delivering this transformational upgrade to Metro Vancouver's wastewater treatment and keeping local communities and coastal waters healthy for years to come."
Moving to tertiary treatment at the Iona plant will improve water quality in the nearby Fraser River, which is home to British Columbia's largest salmon population. Complementary projects in the program will enhance opportunities for community recreation, including ecological restoration projects at Iona Beach Regional Park and coastal resilience improvements to harden infrastructure against sea level rise and extreme weather events.
Drawing from experience on similar infrastructure programs, the team will design the upgrades to meet regulatory discharge requirements and use leading strategies in climate resiliency, water reuse and renewable energy generation technologies.
The Jacobs and AECOM team previously delivered the Project Definition Report for the upgrades and are currently leading Metro Vancouver's pilot testing program to trial new technologies for phase one of the upgrades, which is planned to be complete by 2027. The program is expected to ultimately improve quality of life for the more than 900,000 Vancouver residents anticipated to be served by the Iona plant in 2051.
