McCarthy Building Companies Inc.’s Water Services team was recently selected as the general contractor for the $70 million improvement project for the Kansas River Wastewater Treatment Plant at 1400 E. 8th St. in Lawrence, Kansas.
The improvement project, which aligns with the City of Lawrence’s strategic plan and sustainability goals, marks the city’s second-largest funded wastewater project. The improvements are required to meet the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System regulatory permit requirements issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The plant, which receives nearly 80% of the city’s wastewater, was originally opened in 1956 and has an average daily flow of 8 million gallons per day. As an end-of-line facility that processes and discharges effluent (treated wastewater) into the Kansas River, it’s critical that the plant utilizes current technology and remains functional throughout the construction process.
The scope of work that will be completed by McCarthy as the project’s CMAR (Construction Manager At Risk) includes:
- Replacing major motor control centers and upgrading electrical equipment, including transferring from city-owned transformers to utility-owned transformers
- Converting from aeration to a biological nutrient removal (BNR) treatment process, which includes converting four aeration basins to BNR basins, converting existing sludge holding tank to a return activated sludge (RAS) fermenter, as well as upgrading to gearless, high-speed turbo blowers and a new thickened waste-activated sludge tank
- Building a new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) facility with a new fiber loop, which will help plant staff more efficiently monitor and address system challenges.
- Converting a chlorine contact basin into a new UV facility, which utilizes a different disinfectant process that is more environmentally friendly and sustainable
- Upgrading grit handling equipment to current standards as well as additional upgrades, including valve replacements.
Preconstruction is underway currently with the project’s construction slated to begin in May 2023 and completion is expected to be in fall 2026.
