Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Project
Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of Metro Vancouver’s Liquid Waste Treatment Facilities. Located in Richmond at 1000 Ferguson Road, the plant provides primary treatment to wastewater from about 600,000 residents in Vancouver, the UBC Endowment Lands and parts of Burnaby and Richmond.
Project Overview
Metro Vancouver plans to upgrade the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant to meet regulatory requirements by 2030 and ensure reliable, high-quality service for approximately 750,000 residents. Key elements include:
- Tertiary treatment for improved effluent quality
- Ecological restoration in Iona Beach Regional Park
- Resource recovery (reclaimed water and biogas for energy)
- Ground improvements for seismic protection and future sea-level rise
The project is currently in Early Works and Preliminary Design. For details and engagement materials from the Project Definition Phase, visit Metro Vancouver’s website.
Causeway Improvements
Causeway improvements are nearing completion in 2026. These works will:
- Widen travel lanes and add a construction-vehicle queue lane
- Install cycling shoulders on both sides of the road
- Upgrade underground utilities serving the treatment plant
- Plant a landscaped boulevard
- Build a separated pedestrian and recreational cycling greenway
- When: Mon-Fri, 7:00am-8:00pm (extended hours as needed)
- What to expect: public access maintained, signage and traffic control in place, and occasional single-lane alternating traffic, noise, dust, and reduced parking
Southeast Lagoon Early Works
Lagoon early works have resumed as of spring 2026:
- Construction of an access road
- Partial infill of the southeast lagoon with sand
Impacts may include: traffic delays, single-lane alternating traffic, construction vehicles, noise, dust, and on-site traffic control