The range of project sizes and construction complexity in the wastewater industry is vast. Sometimes a small project in terms of money can lead to large savings and major improvements in operational efficiency. On the other hand, large projects require extensive collaboration to meet aggressive construction timelines, progressive project goals and strict regulatory limits. The 2023 WWD Top Projects run the gamut between these two extremes.
The City of Farmington, Missouri’s aeration project was the smallest in terms of total cost at $500,000, but the estimated energy savings amount to $80,000 annually. It shows an impressive return on investment for the expense incurred.
Two projects — Gravel Ridge SID 213 WWTP and Logan Regional WTF — repurposed wastewater treatment lagoons to meet nutrient reduction limits in their respective states. Gravel Ridge did so for 1,500 customers with an activated sludge system, and Logan Regional WTF constructed an 18 MGD plant with biological nutrient removal to meet new limits with the largest capital project in the city’s history — and the largest by cost of this year’s Top Projects — at $138 million.
In Arizona, the Pecan Water Reclamation Facility expanded its size due to capacity concerns from a 2018 consent decree while finding creative solutions for the smaller footprint. Lastly and similarly to Logan Regional WTF, the Conroe Central WWTP in Texas is the largest capital project in its city’s history at $60 million.
Whether small or large, these projects represent excellence in wastewater project design and construction for 2023. In addition to the articles on the following pages, each project is featured on our website in video format. The links to each video can be found on their respective pages, or by visiting www.wwdmag.com/top-projects.
