Britannia Mine

Every day for over 70 years the Britannia Mine sent hundreds of kilograms of heavy metals into British Columbia’s Howe Sound. In 2005, EPCOR and its partners built and began operating the Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant. Today it cleans billions of litres of water contaminated with heavy metals every year.  

Services provided 

• Industrial wastewater treatment 

About the system 

The treatment facility uses slaked lime to draw the dissolved heavy metals out of the mine water. The metals removed include copper, iron, zinc, aluminum, manganese and cadmium.  

The metal-lime mixture settles to the bottom of the plant’s stilling basin, is collected and stored offsite. After passing a test for pH and turbidity, the water is released into Howe Sound, where plant and marine life have returned after decades of desolation. As it flows into Howe Sound, the water drives a micro-turbine, which provides the treatment plant with a source of renewable energy. 

The treatment system is an ISO 14001:2025 certified environmental management system. 

The facility also hosts the Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant Discovery Centre, where the public can learn more about the ongoing work to clean and restore the area. Tours and presentations in the centre are run in cooperation with the Britannia Mine Museum.  

Figures of note 

• Up to 5 billion litres: water treated annually 
• 12 million litres: maximum amount of water the plant can treat in a day 
• 226,000 kg: average of heavy metal contaminants removed each year 
• 30 million: equivalent number of copper pennies saved from entering Howe Sound each year 

Operating model 

The plant and mine maintenance are operated under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate model with a 20-year term due to expire in 2025. 

Recognition 

• Government of British Columbia Premier's Award for Innovation and Excellence 2007 
• Fraser Basin Council Caring for Ecosystems Award 2006 

Learn more 

• BC Government page on the plant