CH2M HILL Wins Two DBIA National Merit Awards For Water And Wastewater Design-Build Projects

Winning projects showcase advanced and innovative application of design-build best practices

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) recently announced the recipients of its 2014 Project/Team Awards, and CH2M HILL is pleased to share that two of its design-build projects, including the Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility in Tucson, Arizona and the City of Wilsonville’s Wastewater Treatment Plant in Wilsonville, Oregon, received National Merit Awards in the Water/Wastewater category. CH2M HILL also received a National Award of Merit for its work on delivering the Ohio Department of Transportation’s I-71/I-670 Interchange. The awards celebrate exemplary application of Design-Build Done Right project delivery for projects that achieved best value, while also meeting design and construction quality, cost, and schedule goals. The DBIA will present the merit awards, as well as three Awards of Excellence in the areas of design, process, and learning, at the 2014 Design-Build Conference & Expo on October 7, in Dallas, Texas. All National Merit Award winners qualify for consideration of an Award of Excellence.

“Collaboration, communication, and teamwork are at the heart of every successful design-build-operate (DBO) project. We’re proud to accept these honors with our clients in Pima County and the City of Wilsonville,” said Greg McIntyre, CH2M HILL Global Water Market President. “These projects not only demonstrate our clients’ commitment to sustainability, but prove the effectiveness of a collaborative delivery approach in delivering high quality projects on time and on budget.”

Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department is recognized for its commitment to quality service, environmental stewardship, and renewable resources. The Agua Nueva facility, part of Pima County’s largest capital improvements program, is one of the world’s most advanced water reclamation facilities in the world. The 32 MGD, $172M facility produces high quality effluent that exceeds expectations, keeping the Santa Cruz River clean and protecting Pima County’s reclaimed water system. CH2M HILL, as the single-entity DBO firm, was responsible for project delivery and construction, and will operate and maintain the plant for 15+5 years.

Pima County has earned significant industry recognition for its Agua Nueva facility, including being named the Grand Prize in Design by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists, and recently received two statewide 2014 Project of the Year Awards from the Arizona Chapter of the American Public Works Association.

With similar goals in mind, the City of Wilsonville, Ore., embarked on the improvement project at its wastewater treatment plant to address population growth and the facility’s aging infrastructure, as well as meet more stringent discharge regulations, and improve sustainability by producing a Class A biosolids for beneficial reuse. The operate-design-build-operate (ODBO) project enables Wilsonville to meet the community’s current needs and future growth over the next 20 years and will ensure clean water for tomorrow by protecting the environment and improving the quality of effluent discharged to the Willamette River.

Working hand-in-hand with Wilsonville, CH2M HILL was responsible for the $44M capital improvements, including permitting, designing, constructing, commissioning and long-term operations, operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of the existing and upgraded treatment plant. The firm took over plant operations 60 days after signing the ODBO contract and operated the plant throughout design and construction to ensure single-point responsibility for all aspects of the difficult project and guarantee the plant operated under regulatory compliance. CH2M HILL will continue operating the plant for the next 20 years.

The updated and expanded plant, which was completed in April and includes modern wastewater treatment technology, a new odor system, and increased capacity, was the first ODBO project delivered in the state of Oregon. The project also involved extensive reuse and incorporation of existing facilities, as well as construction in tight spaces.

About CH2M HILL
Headquartered near Denver, Colorado, USA, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. The firm’s work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environment, nuclear, energy, facilities and urban environments. With US$6.6B in revenue and 26,000 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record and named a leader in sustainable engineering by Verdantix. The firm was named Water Company of the Year at the 2012 Global Water Awards. For more information, visit ch2mhill.com.