New Rochelle sewer upgrade earns recognition in national engineering competition

H2M architects + engineers of Melville, N.Y., has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement. They will be recognized at the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 58th annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for designing capacity upgrades to the New Rochelle, New York, downtown sanitary sewer system.

The project supports up to 12 million square feet of expected transit-oriented commercial and residential development in New Rochelle’s 279-acre Downtown Overlay Zone (DOZ), which encourages construction of a wide variety of housing types, including affordable and transit-oriented units that will bring people of differing backgrounds, abilities, and incomes together in the community.

To ensure that the sewer system meets the area’s long-term needs, H2M surveyed approximately 27,500 linear feet of existing sewer, modeled anticipated sewer capacity requirements, designed a sewer expansion with additional enhancements, and oversaw construction of the new infrastructure.

H2M also designed sewer bypasses and collaborated with local utilities to facilitate construction without disrupting wastewater and other utility services to existing residents. The new H2M-designed system approximately doubles the sewer system’s capacity. Through proper planning and management, the city has been able to serve development sites as they come online and avoid the issues that might have resulted from antiquated sewer service.

The project is eligible for additional honors as part of 194 entries this year representing engineering excellence from throughout the nation and the world. Judging for the awards program took place in February and was conducted by a national 32-member panel of built environment leaders, along with experts from government, the media, and academia. Award criteria focused on uniqueness, technical innovation, social and economic value, and generating excitement for the engineering profession.

Recognition of all award winners—including 16 Honor Awards, eight Grand Awards, and the prestigious “Grand Conceptor Award” for the year’s most outstanding overall engineering achievement—will take place at the EEA Gala, to be held at the Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.