Skip to main content
Start of main content

Britannia Acid Mine Water Treatment Plant

Helping a small community clean up one of North America’s most contaminated sites

  • 25M

    Liters/Day

  • $15M

    Project Value

  • Britannia Beach, British Columbia

    Britannia Beach, British Columbia

Bringing life back to a historic site

Britannia Mine was once the largest producer of copper in the British Empire. After closure, it suffered three decades of decline, becoming the worst point source of metal pollution in North America. This contamination rendered the nearby watercourses devoid of life.

In 2004, the Province of British Columbia received ownership of the site and limited funds for cleanup. After a series of studies, the province concluded that a public-private-partnership would be the best approach for treating the mine drainage. The result was a $15.5 million, 25 million liters/day treatment plant completed in one year. The project was delivered using a design-build-finance-operate format, with EPCOR providing the financing and operation, LSI leading the construction, and Stantec leading the design.

The completion of the plant was an important foundation for the clean-up efforts at the site and necessary step for the local community’s revival. It removes 600,000 kilograms of heavy metals annually, preventing the equivalent of 30 million pennies from entering Howe Sound. In 2011, pink salmon returned to Britannia Creek for the first time in over a century. Today, it’s a National Historic Site and home to the award-winning Britannia Mine Museum. The residents of Britannia Beach are once again proud of their community.

At a Glance

Offices
Meet Our Team

Reno Fiorante, Senior Vice President, Water

Ensuring a clean water supply and protecting waterways from the wastewater we generate benefits our communities for generations to come.
Reno Fiorante Senior Vice President, Water Read More

Reno Fiorante

Senior Vice President, Water

We're better together

  • Become a client

    Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You’re exactly what’s needed to help us make it happen in your community.

    Contact Us
  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

    Join the Team
End of main content
To top