BQE Water signs largest ever contract to operate, maintain Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant
BQE Water Inc, following a competitive procurement process administered by Infrastructure BC on behalf of the BC government, has been awarded the contract to provide long-term operations and maintenance services for the Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant.
Located 50 km north of Vancouver next to the Sea-to-Sky Highway, the Britannia Mine was once the largest copper producer in the British Commonwealth before closing in 1974. The existing 20-year-old facility is a High-Density Sludge (HDS) lime treatment plant that neutralises acidity and removes heavy metals, primarily copper and zinc, from the mine water collected in the legacy underground workings prior to its discharge into Howe Sound. The facility treats on average 4 to 5 million cu.m/y of mine-impacted water and prevents approximately 600 t of heavy metal contaminants from entering the marine environment each year. This is on par with several other plants that are currently in the BQE’s portfolio of active operations.
Under the terms of the agreement, BQE Water will assume the responsibility for all aspects of the plant operation and maintenance as of January 13, 2026, for a term of 20 years. This will require an on-site team of six including two supervisors who will be supported by locally based engineers, technicians and automation specialists. As an important part of the scope of work, BQE is implementing a Computerised Maintenance Management System to help reduce life cycle costs and risks. As well, there are a series of planned capital projects to replace and/or upgrade the existing infrastructure over the course of the contract term. Finally, the contract includes a provision that would share potential savings with the government on reduction of the operating cost achieved by BQE Water compared with the baseline that had been established over the last 20 years.
David Kratochvil, President & CEO of BQE Water, said: “We are honoured to be entrusted by the Province of British Columbia with the operation of this important asset that protects a coastal ecosystem. As a Vancouver-based company focused on mine water, we end up working at sites often far away from home. The Britannia Mine water treatment plant operation gives us a truly unique opportunity to leverage our knowledge and experience towards protecting and restoring marine environment in our home, and all of us at BQE are excited about this. From the corporate perspective, this is the largest contract signed by the company in its history.”
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