Delivery Method:
Design-Build

Engineer:
JVA, inc.

Project Completion:

Cost:
$4,200,000.00

Location:
916 Rocky Ridge Circle Erie, CO, 80516

Project Description:
Project Description The Erie Water Treatment Plant in northern Colorado was developed and expanded through a design-build procurement method with Fischer Construction, Inc., and JVA Engineering. The project’s main objective was designing and building the backwash solids handling facility to handle both the current plant capacity of 10 million gallons a day (MGD), as well as potential future capacity of 17 MGD. Before this project was undertaken, the town of Erie discharged the solids from the water treatment facility into the sanitary sewer, causing issues with the biosolids handling at the wastewater treatment plant due to the chemicals found in the residuals. To combat this, a mechanical dewatering system with a centrifuge was designed and installed to minimize the amount of polyaluminum chloride (PAC) discharged into sanitary sewer. This system also successfully capitalized on maximum dewatered solids percentage based on the optimized size footprint used. The project included solids pumping, solids thickening and storage tanks, dewatering equipment, a bulk PAC silo and dosing equipment, and the addition of sodium permanganate as a pre-oxidant. The project was able to utilize the existing site’s foundation, repurpose a tank, and reuse some of the site’s existing equipment . Once completed, this project became one of the only water treatment plants dewatering residuals in the state of Colorado. Value Engineering Sustainability Analysis Improve Construction Safety: When beginning construction, there were many issues with the current state of piping to the facility. The owner and the town was unclear about whether the lines were active and live, or if they were unused. Fischer Construction conducted safety protocols in cutting and capping each one of these lines as opposed to simply cutting without the knowledge of active lines. Although the process was time consuming and labor intensive, it resulted in a successful yard pipe demolition and reuse, and furthermore, the safety of all employees working on site. Minimize Noise and Vibration: The centrifuge was installed inside an insulated building, drastically reducing noise pollution. In regards to vibration, additional columns were installed under the centrifuge slab to take the vibrations twenty feet below grade where the soil dampens the vibration. Leadership: Foster Collaboration and Teamwork: Value engineering through the Design-Build phase and throughout the project’s timeline is an excellent example of teamwork and collaboration between the engineer and the contractor. This can be seen through the addition of a clearwell system because of cost savings, reuse of existing materials through the foundation, and a friendly partnership with the team involving owner, engineering, and the contractor. [See the “Economic Considerations in Sustainability” below for further information on the clearwell project.] Provide for Stakeholder Involvement: Weekly progress meetings conducted by Fischer Construction allowed for the owner, the town, the engineer, and the electrician to all be involved and have input on the project. For instance, the rolling garage door setup for the excess waste dumpster was modified in these meetings, as the town wanted to have a larger and much more user-friendly system. Resource Allocation: Use Recycled Materials: The project was able to reuse the site’s existing foundation and solids tank, allowing for ease of construction, reduction of materials, and a benefit to the project’s total carbon footprint. Reduce Operational Waste: The plant now has complete operation through a program called SCADA, which establishes additional efficiencies all throughout the plant and optimizes the PAC silo’s ability to administer the chemical bags without labor. The solids handling system and the centrifuge allow the waste water to be hauled out of the facility using a dry haul, since all the water has been pressed out of it. This, in turn, reduces the operational waste of the facility four or five times over, as there is no need for liquid waste hauling. By processing the solids on site, it also allows for efficiency at the wastewater plant. Previously, the plant struggled with dealing with the large amounts of alum and carbon waste that the water plant discharged into its system. Natural World: Preserve Prime Farmland: The location of the site is found on typical farm and ranch homesteads. The ranch style - barn like buildings disappear into the natural surroundings, reducing impact. Even moreso, it was decided early on in the planning phase to limit the site’s footprint in order to preserve the surrounding farmland as much as possible. Preserve Undeveloped Land: By reusing the existing foundation of the building, multiple materials on the project were also reused, allowing for the preservation of undeveloped land. Furthermore, during the clearwell construction where a crane was used, it was chosen to place the crane in an area where it would not affect the undeveloped land. Climate and Risk: Reduce Net Embodied Carbon: By reusing the existing foundation of the building and the existing solids tank, the net carbon footprint of the building was drastically reduced. Everything from materials to the construction to the installation to the impact on the environment all had a reduction in the carbon footprint of the project. In addition, the previous building was metal, and by demolishing the building, all the metal of the project was recycled, allowing the metal to be recycled. Avoid Unsuitable Development: By reusing the existing foundation of the building, multiple materials on the project were also allowed to be reused, allowing for the avoidance of unsuitable development. Such examples include the drainage facility, yard pipe, and the raw water feed. Economic Considerations in Sustainability Incorporating economic evaluations in sustainability is crucial toward the overall life cycle analysis of a project. For instance, project savings from design decisions enabled the purchase of a bulk PAC silo instead of relocation and reuse of smaller, existing super-sack PAC system, significantly reducing material handling and storage requirements. Economic evaluations also allowed for the town to add clearwell improvements in the facility’s aging tank and polymer dosing system. These upgrades, which include baffling, allowed this upgrade to be retrofitted within the current system to allow for efficiency and additional capacity. These financial considerations have allowed for the town to save money while also maintaining sustainability. As a result of this project, the clearwell will last significantly longer with a larger capacity, all while limiting the amount of construction, materials, and maintenance needed to accomplish the project.

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