WC134 JanFeb 2024 - Magazine - Page 33
WATER PROJECTS
Regenerative Designs and
Ecological Restoration
The Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Project BY JEFF CUTLER
HE IONA ISLAND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT (IIWWTP), situated on Iona
Island and surrounded by Iona Beach Regional
Park, stands at a unique crossroads of history and
ecology. This complex site lies at the estuary of
the Fraser River, bordered to the north by one of the
Musqueam First Nations reserves and South Vancouver,
and to the south by Sea Island, Vancouver International
Airport, and Lulu Island, commonly known as Richmond.
In 2018, a multidisciplinary team of engineers,
landscape architects, and architects, was commissioned
to design the existing treatment plant replacement. This
collaborative effort aimed to not only replace the aging
infrastructure but also revitalize the ecologically sensitive
lands surrounding the plant.
In close consultation with the Musqueam First Nations and other interest holders, the plan matured
T
Jeff Cutler
Jeff Cutler, BCSLA, AALA,
OALA, CSLA, is the principal
and founder of space2place.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
over three years, involving six landscape architects in the
preliminary design phase, ensuring that every facet of the
project was infused with deep ecological consideration.
Restoration and enhancement
The IIWWTP Project aims to upgrade the existing
treatment plant to meet federal regulations, with a range
of ecological restoration projects that will reconnect the
river and sea, create off-channel salmon habitats, regenerate and expand freshwater wetlands, and restore upland
terrestrial habitats.
The plant’s reconstruction is set to not only refine the
treatment process, thereby improving the water quality of
the Salish Sea but also to improve aquatic ecosystems. A
significant upgrade has been made in the plant’s effluent treatment, transitioning from primary to tertiary
treatment. As well, an improved salmon habitat will
help chinook salmon populations, a vital food source for
resident Orca whales.
The project also offers a critical opportunity to provide
significant benefits to the region as it will restore estuary
processes, increase the island’s resilience to climate change,
and expand educational and recreational offerings in the
regional park.
WATER C AN ADA • JANUARY/ FEBRUARY 2024
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