North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant

Business and Development - Current Projects

August 28, 2026 update

On August 25, Mayor Mark Sager sent a letter to the Inspector of Municipalities detailing the resolution Council passed at its July 20, 2026, regular meeting requesting a provincial review of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant project under Section 765 of the Local Government Act.

Read the letter here

August 10, 2026 update

At its regular meeting on July 20, Council approved a motion requesting a provincial review of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant project under Section 765 of the Local Government Act.

The following motion was added as new business to the Council agenda and, following discussion, was approved unanimously.

WHEREAS the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant (NSWWTP) project was originally budgeted at approximately $700 million and scheduled for completion in 2020, and is now projected to be completed in 2030 at an estimated cost of approximately $3.86 billion;

AND WHEREAS North Shore residents are expected to bear a disproportionately higher share of the project's costs than residents in many other Metro Vancouver municipalities;

AND WHEREAS Metro Vancouver has initiated an independent review of the project, while a review under Section 765 of the Local Government Act would provide an independent statutory process with powers unavailable to a non-statutory review;

AND WHEREAS Section 765 of the Local Government Act authorizes the Inspector of Municipalities to review matters relating to a regional district;

AND WHEREAS a review under Section 765 would provide an independent and transparent examination of the project, help strengthen public confidence, and enhance accountability in the governance and delivery of major regional infrastructure projects;

AND WHEREAS any provincial review should be undertaken in a timely manner while avoiding unnecessary delay to the project;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Corporation of the District of West Vancouver endorse the unanimous July 6 requests of the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver and the July 13 unanimous vote from the City of New Westminster to formally request that the Inspector of Municipalities exercise the authority provided under Section 765 of the Local Government Act to commence a review the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant project;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Inspector of Municipalities be requested to examine the factors contributing to the project's significant cost increases and delays, and provide recommendations to strengthen governance, transparency, accountability, financial oversight, and public confidence in the delivery of major regional infrastructure projects;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Inspector of Municipalities, the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, Metro Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, and all Metro Vancouver member municipalities.

September 2024 update

The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant (NSWWTP) is a new facility currently under construction that will serve over 300,000 residents and businesses in the District of West Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, City of North Vancouver, and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). The new plant is designed to support anticipated population growth and treat wastewater more effectively and sustainably which will improve the quality of treated wastewater released into the Burrard Inlet.

The NSWWTP will replace the existing Lions Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant which is at the end of its operational life and must be replaced to comply with new federal regulations that require a higher level of treatment. First announced by Metro Vancouver in 2011, the NSWWTP project originally had an estimated regional cost of $700 million, which was later raised to $1.058 billion. However, since then, several factors have led to a revised cost of $3.86 billion.

Metro Vancouver funds capital expenditures mainly by debt financing and contribution to capital (based on a pay-as-you-go philosophy). The typical debt amortization term for Metro Vancouver utility projects is 15 years, however, to minimize impacts to North Shore ratepayers, the NSWWTP project will be amortized over 30 years. In addition, Metro Vancouver approved a separate cost allocation and phasing to the four sewerage areas for this project. For the North Shore Sewerage Area, the incremental costs would be phased in over five years and costs for the other sewerage areas will be phased in over one year.

While Metro Vancouver sets the overall funding framework, each municipality decides how to recover its portion of these costs. The District of West Vancouver is proposing to recover the incremental costs through a special North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Levy, using an approach tied to property assessments.

The FAQ below provides detailed answers to some of the most common questions about the project, funding, and the impact on District residents and business owners.

Frequently Asked Questions: North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Cost Recovery

In anticipation of capital costs for the NSWWTP, the District has been incrementally increasing Sewer and Drainage Utility fees over the past six years and setting aside this funding in a Rate Smoothing Reserve. This approach was intended to smooth future utility rate increases associated with the regional levy as costs to construct the treatment plant are realized.

The amount the District has been setting aside in the reserve was based on best available information about cost impacts at the time. The reserve balance is forecast to be $5.7M by the end of 2024 and it will be drawn down over the next five years to smooth the impact of regional cost increases on utility rates.

Due to the large increase in capital construction costs of the new wastewater treatment plant announced in 2024, the District faces a significant shortfall despite advanced planning to build a funding reserve that would disperse cost impacts to ratepayers.
In a closed meeting held on July 8, 2024, Council reviewed two options for how the District might meet the funding shortfall for the District's portion of the levy associated with Metro Vancouver’s new capital construction cost projections.

After reviewing options, Council directed staff to prepare a proposed 5-year financial plan that reflects a cost-recovery approach where the previously anticipated regional costs for the project continue to be reflected in utility rates, but the incremental costs of the new budget projections and budget shortfall are met by establishing a North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Levy. In this meeting, Council directed staff to release this decision for public information at the Finance & Audit Committee meeting held on September 23, 2024.
Regional costs have previously been collected only through utility rates. In 2024, regional expenses accounted for 46% of the District’s sanitary utility costs. This includes wastewater treatment and the base costs associated with Metro Vancouver’s new North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The regional sewer costs are separate items on your quarterly utility bill. This is done to provide transparency for ratepayers and make it clear what funds are being collected and used within our community (local rate) and which funds are remitted back to Metro Vancouver regional wastewater services (regional rate).

Starting in 2025, in addition to the base costs, Metro Vancouver will begin to collect additional funds to support the construction of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Program.
The Environmental Management Act of BC and the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage Act (GVSDD Act) authorize the Regional District to make bylaws respecting direct or indirect discharge of waste into sewers and drains connected to a regional sewerage facility. It gives Metro Vancouver the authority to collect funds from member municipalities to support regional infrastructure.
Establishing a North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Levy allows eligible homeowners to defer this levy through the BC Tax Deferment program, should they choose to do so. This method offers greater flexibility for property owners to manage the financial impact on their households.

Learn more about tax deferment and find out if you are eligible on the BC Tax Deferment program web page.

There is no deferment program for utility charges.
Each property owner will pay a North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Levy which will be based on the value of their property and as such, the household impact will vary per property owner. Property owners with higher property values will see a higher amount, while those with lower property values will see a lower amount.

For the additional costs of the NSWWTP, the proposed levy for a single-family dwelling assessed at $3.66 million - the average value in West Vancouver - would be approximately $177 starting in 2025. This amount would increase incrementally each year, reaching approximately $884 by 2029. These figures are calculated based on the preliminary 2025 assessment values and the preliminary projected costs from the Greater Vancouver Sewerage & Drainage District (GVS&DD). As previously noted, GVS&DD numbers will be revised in future years. Also, the assessment values will be adjusted each year and may fluctuate even for 2025 as BC Assessment finalizes the 2025 property values.

These figures are calculated based on the 2024 assessment values, and assessment values change each year so these numbers may fluctuate.

Each year, BC Assessment determines property values and mail assessment rolls and notices to owners/agents by December 31. To learn more about the assessment process, please visit bcassessment.ca.
For the additional budget needs of the NSWWTP, Metro Vancouver analysis forecasts an average household impact (HHI) of $590 within the North Shore Sewerage Area. To generate this estimate, Metro Vancouver applied a calculation used to compare average costs impact between the four regional sewerage areas across the region. The figure is calculated based on the current Metro Vancouver 2024-2028 financial plan and adding in the incremental average annual NSWWTP program costs amount, divided by BC Assessment’s number of households for the sewerage area.

The Metro Vancouver calculation does not consider local municipal cost recovery approaches or local utility financial planning.
The District considered two cost recovery methods. One was to recover the cost through utility rates, where water usage is used as a proxy for sewer usage. Another was to establish a special property value tax levy as defined under section 197 of the Community Charter.

Levy funding method
- Allows deferment for eligible property owners
- Higher value properties would pay more
Utility rate funding method
- Does not allow for deferment
- Higher water consumers would pay more
- Uncertainty around rate tiers and final costs
The total cost does not vary greatly between scenarios, therefore the District chose the property value tax levy method that establishes a North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant Levy.
Only the incremental capital cost to build the new treatment plant will be funded from the special levy.

Utility rates will continue to be set as projected in the five-year plan, based on previous information about capital cost requirements for the NSWWTP.

This approach results in more predictable utility rates for property owners.

The total combined local and regional sewer annual revenue increases anticipated for the 2025-2029 budget years are projected to be 9.6%, 9.3%, 9.0%, 8.2%, and 3.3% respectively.

Utility rates are set annually based on best available information at the time of rate-setting. Please be aware that these numbers are subject to change.

For more information about utility charges, visit westvancouver.ca/utilities.
The Federal and Provincial governments are providing joint funding of up to $405 million toward the construction of the NSWWTP.

Metro Vancouver’s sewage treatment services are broken up into four sewerage areas: North Shore; Vancouver, which includes UBC and parts of Burnaby and Richmond; Lulu Island, which is most of Richmond; and Fraser, which is most other Metro municipalities.

All municipalities in Metro Vancouver contribute to the capital costs of new facilities, but those within each sewerage area pay a bigger share for facilities in their own area.

Metro Vancouver has adopted a budget framework where the incremental costs of the NSWWTP for the North Shore will be phased in over five years, whereas costs for property owners in the the Vancouver, Fraser, and Lulu Island Sewerage Areas will be phased in over one year.