Lake Havasu City Wastewater System Expansion Program Named Arizona Water Association Project Of The Year

Atkins, one of the world’s leading engineering and design firms, is pleased to note that the Wastewater System Expansion Program of Lake Havasu City, Arizona has won the 2012 Wastewater System Project of the Year Award from the Arizona Water Association (AZ Water). Atkins has played a significant role in executing the project; and on May 2, Atkins’ Carmen Kasner, PE, and Kevin Murphy, PE, were recognized at an awards ceremony held during the AZ Water 85th annual Conference and Exhibition in Glendale, Arizona. Kasner was Atkins’ project manager for the wastewater system expansion program. Murphy, who serves in public involvement and technical advisory roles for Atkins, was the city’s previous Public Works Director and has been involved in the program since its inception.

“Nearly every resident in the city was affected by this massive, long-term program that ultimately involved work on 91 percent of the city’s streets,” said Murphy. “We’re delighted that the city has been recognized by the Arizona Water Association for a truly remarkable project.”

Atkins provided engineering and construction management services in the program’s final sewer areas: the Mockingbird, Trotwood, and Chemehuevi neighborhoods in the southeastern section of the city. Atkins’ portion of the program involved the largest amount of construction the city has seen in a year. In all, the ten-year program constructed hundreds of miles of new sewer lines, added 4.6 million gallons per day capacity and other upgrades to the wastewater treatment plants, and promoted water conservation efforts in the community.

The Lake Havasu City wastewater system expansion helps protect the community’s groundwater by closing more than 20,000 septic tanks and connecting residents to a new community sewer system.

“With an economy heavily dependent upon tourism, boating, and fishing, Lake Havasu City understands the importance of good water quality,” said City Engineer Greg Froslie, PE. “The program helps significantly reduce the amount of pollutants reaching the endangered Lower Colorado River, which supplies drinking water to more than 25 million people.”

Substantially completed in November 2011, the program was finished two years ahead of schedule. The final cost of $348M was more than $100M under budget.

“It’s hard to describe just how big of an impact the Wastewater System Expansion Program has had on our city,” said Lake Havasu City Mayor Mark Nexsen. “In spite of many challenges, our staff and the engineers took a very invasive project and got it done under budget and ahead of schedule. As a resort destination, our city depends on the health of the Colorado River, and this project’s successful completion has had a significant influence.”

About Atkins
Atkins is one of the world's leading engineering and design consultancies*, employing some 17,700 people across the UK, North America, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Europe. It has the breadth and depth of expertise to plan, design, and enable some of the world's most technically challenging and time critical infrastructure projects. For more information, visit www.atkinsglobal.com.

*It is the largest engineering consultancy in the UK (New Civil Engineer Consultants File 2011) and the 13th largest international design firm (Engineering News-Record 2011).

Recent projects include:

• Critical program management of storm protection works in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Southern Louisiana, providing expertise in coastal restoration, engineering, environmental and GIS support to rebuild defenses and protect habitats.
• Architectural and construction phase services for the new Tyndall Air Force Base Fitness Center, meeting LEED Platinum standards without impact to project cost.
• Equal partner in a joint venture that is providing full-service program/project management support for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a $7.8-B project encompassing ecological restoration, water storage, flood control, and recreation.
• Key transit projects – member of a joint venture providing a general engineering consultant team for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, and project management oversight contractor for the Federal Transit Administration for major transit projects throughout the US.
• Lead firm on the Ascend, Joint Venture, LLC team, which is designing the $1.2-B Maynard Holbrook Jackson Jr. International Terminal roadway system at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
• Meeting stringent nutrient removal requirements for wastewater treatment plants in the Chesapeake Bay area through design of upgrades to Howard County, Maryland’s Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s Seneca Wastewater Treatment Plant, and design and construction of enhanced nutrient removal facilities at Anne Arundel County’s Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant.
• Multi-year architecture-engineering construction management services for the US National Park Service, including projects such as rehabilitation of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center and Administrative Complex at California’s Death Valley to meet the US Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification standards.

SOURCE: Atkins