North Van filtration plant construction delayed — again

Construction on a $600 million water filtration plant in North Vancouver is facing more delays.

The project was already a year behind schedule when workers boring the twin tunnels to connect the Capilano Reservoir to the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve recently stopped work because of safety concerns.

Tim Stevenson, the chair of the water committee for Metro Vancouver, said Wednesday that work stopped a month and a half ago after contractors discovered loose granite inside the tunnel.

Metro Vancouver engineers are working with the contractor, Bilfinger Berger of Germany, to address the safety concerns, he said.

"They are meeting with the contractors in a very important meeting in the next two weeks," said Stevenson. "I am anticipating, from what I have been told by our staff, that they're hopeful that after that, we'll be going ahead."

Stevenson said Metro Vancouver engineers have determined the tunnel is not at risk of collapse.

The project is intended to provide clearer water to the entire Metro Vancouver area by linking the Capilano Reservoir with the Seymour filtration plant.

The drinking water filtration plant, Canada's largest, will include the world's largest ultraviolet disinfection works and will filter up to 1.8 billion litres of water per day, enough to fill B.C. Place, according to Metro Vancouver.