Pure Water San Diego Program achieves major water delivery milestone

Aug 11, 2020

SAN DIEGO — The City of San Diego’s $3 billion Pure Water San Diego Program has achieved a significant milestone on its path to providing one-third of San Diego’s water supply locally by the end of 2035. A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit has been granted to the City by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board to add purified water to the Miramar Reservoir for Phase 1 of the Program.

The Pure Water San Diego Program is a phased, multi-year program that uses proven technology to produce a safe, reliable, and cost-effective water supply for the City. The Program will help the City overcome its water challenges by transforming the City’s existing water system into a complete water cycle that maximizes the use and reuse of its water supply and reduces ocean discharges. Phase 1 of the Program includes a series of facilities and pipelines to clean recycled water to produce 30 million gallons per day (MGD) of high-quality purified water, reducing the City’s dependence on imported water from Northern California and the Colorado River. The purified water will blend with the City’s imported and local water sources and be re-treated at the Miramar Water Treatment Plant before distribution to the public. Phase 1 projects include the Morena Pump Station and Pipelines, North City Water Reclamation Plant Expansion, North City Pure Water Facility, and North City Pure Water Pump Station and Pipeline.

Part of the Clean Water Act, NPDES permits contain discharge limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to address water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants to waters of the United States. The NPDES permit issued to the City is the first for a reservoir augmentation project in California and a major milestone for the Pure Water San Diego Program.

“Water supply is perhaps the most critical issue that San Diego must continue to address given its semi-arid climate and reliance on imported supplies. Pure Water San Diego is an essential component to ensure the long-term health and vibrancy of one of the world’s most desirable places to live.”
San Diego Public Utilities Department Assistant Director John Stufflebean

The Stantec/Brown and Caldwell team is providing program management services to support the City with Phase 1 of the Program from planning through implementation, including the integration of all services and facilities.

“Our team applauds the City of San Diego’s leadership team on this significant milestone for this important, high-profile program,” said Stantec Consultant Program Manager Doug Owen. “Pure Water San Diego and the City’s vision to create a new, sustainable water supply for generations to come is a foundational model for future potable reuse projects.”

Early site work construction activities at the North City Water Reclamation Plant and the future Pure Water Facility are currently underway as part of Phase 1 of the Program.

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Archer Western, Brown and Caldwell begin expansion of Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility

Jul 29, 2020

ATLANTA – Construction of large-scale expansions to the Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility in Roswell, Georgia, is officially underway. The Fulton County Department of Public Works’ $300 million project, the largest single capital expansion project in Fulton County’s history, is being delivered by the design-build joint venture of Archer Western and Brown and Caldwell.

When the plant was originally constructed in 1969, it had a treatment capacity of roughly 0.75 million gallons per day (MGD). Over the years, to keep up with the region’s exponential growth, it has been expanded to 24 MGD. As numerous areas of the facility near the end of useful life and in anticipation of further population increases and economic development, the facility is being upgraded and expanded via the progressive design-build process to a capacity of 32 MGD.

Key elements of the project include coarse screening and grit removal, primary clarification, biological nutrient removal, flat plate membrane filtration, offline equalization tanks, aerobic digesters, new electrical and instrumentation infrastructure, and ultraviolet and post-aeration of effluent. Care has been taken to design a project that will reduce light, noise, and odor from leaving the facility and will provide significant quality of life improvements to the surrounding neighborhood. The new treatment process, incorporating state-of-the-art membrane technology, will produce significantly cleaner water than the existing plant. Even at the higher flow capacity, discharges to the river will be reduced by up to 50% from current permit limits. Construction crews will also demolish and repurpose various older or underused sections of the facility. Efforts will be made to recycle existing site materials, eliminating up to 10,000 truckloads of landfill disposal.

Construction is expected to follow a 46-month schedule and conclude in 2024.

“Fulton County is committed to protecting the Chattahoochee River, our most important natural resource. This important, landmark project reflects our dedication to providing the highest quality services to our citizens in an environmentally sound way while still allowing the growth and economic development throughout the North Fulton County area.”
Fulton County Public Works Director David Clark

The project is the latest collaboration between Archer Western and Brown and Caldwell. The team previously partnered on the delivery of Fulton County’s multi-award-winning Johns Creek Environmental Campus Design-Build project.

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Brown and Caldwell hires seasoned industrial water expert

Jul 14, 2020

PHILADELPHIA — Leading environmental engineering and construction firm Brown and Caldwell today announced Dr. Randall Watts has joined the company as industrial water senior process engineer.

Having spent his 24-year career until now at Merck, Dr. Watts brings an impressive background of specialized water and wastewater experience in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. He has served as technical lead on numerous high-profile projects to improve treatment system performance — including the treatment of endocrine-disrupting compounds and other active pharmaceutical ingredients and constituents — at production facilities in multiple countries. His expertise covers water supply and sustainability, wastewater process design, wastewater system optimization, field and pilot study design and coordination, system start-up and operational support, and operational efficiency.

As a key addition to Brown and Caldwell’s Industrial Water Group, Dr. Watts will be responsible for developing and implementing tailored solutions to the chemical and pharmaceutical industry’s most complex water and wastewater challenges. He will lead process engineering and design on projects encompassing water use reduction, water and wastewater treatment and reuse, active pharmaceutical ingredient management, nutrient removal, smart utilities, and systems operation and optimization.

“I am delighted to welcome Randall to our team of industrial water experts. His deep knowledge of chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing and water and wastewater treatment in these industries will provide our clients with heightened technical knowledge, rigor, innovation, and responsiveness, translating to the development of unique and robust solutions that provide long-term value.”
Brown and Caldwell Director of Industrial Water Si Givens

Based in Philadelphia, Watts has a doctorate and a master’s in environmental engineering and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the University of Florida.

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Brown and Caldwell appoints new Vancouver leader

Jun 23, 2020

VANCOUVER – Leading environmental engineering and construction firm Brown and Caldwell is proud to announce the onboarding of Sebastien Le Scraigne as Vancouver leader, signaling the next phase of its Canada growth strategy.

Le Scraigne’s appointment follows the expansion of the firm’s new Metro Vancouver location early last year to better serve clients in the Lower Mainland’s municipal and private water and wastewater sector.

With a 14-year background in the design, optimization, construction, and commissioning of large water and wastewater projects, Le Scraigne brings a wealth of knowledge and technical expertise to British Columbia’s most complex water and environmental challenges.

As Vancouver Leader, Le Scraigne is responsible for operations management, providing exceptional client service, and expanding the firm’s regional presence and talent pool to meet market and customer needs. He will lead high-performing teams in the collaborative, efficient, and quality delivery of impactful projects Brown and Caldwell is renowned for in the environmental market.

“I am very pleased to welcome a leader of Sebastien’s caliber to our growing Canada business. His skills and experience will be a great asset to our clients as the region continues to prepare for population growth, regulatory changes, and climate and seismic risks.”
Brown and Caldwell Canada Leader Mike Thorstenson

A licensed professional engineer, Le Scraigne holds a master’s degree in energy and environment as well as a master’s in chemical engineering.

$375M ag water reuse system coming to Sacramento

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Brown and Caldwell, Carollo Engineers joint venture selected for South County Ag Program

Jun 9, 2020

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A joint venture (JV) of Brown and Caldwell and Carollo Engineers has been selected by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) to provide capital program management services for the $375 million South Sacramento County Agriculture & Habitat Lands Recycled Water (South County Ag) Program.

The South County Ag Program was established to meet Regional San’s long-term goal of increasing its use of recycled water by using highly treated tertiary effluent as irrigation water in lieu of groundwater — representing a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. The Program represents one of the largest agricultural reuse projects in the United States, providing up to 50,000 acre-feet per year of Title 22 tertiary-treated recycled water to irrigate up to 16,000 acres of permanent agriculture and habitat conservation lands near the Cosumnes River and Stone Lakes Wildlife Refuge in Sacramento County.

The recycled water — pure enough for unrestricted agricultural and municipal landscape uses — will be conveyed from Regional San’s Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (SRWTP) to agricultural lands in southern Sacramento County via new transmission and delivery pipeline infrastructure. Concurrently, major upgrades at the SRWTP are underway via the EchoWater Project which will increase the production capacity of tertiary treated wastewater at the SRWTP from 3 million gallons per day (mgd) to 217 mgd; of this amount up to 114 mgd will be available for recycled water use.

Groundwater in the southern portion of Sacramento County is in a state of overdraft. The Program will reduce the need to pump groundwater for agricultural use in that area and result in the recovery of groundwater levels (in-lieu recharge). Using recycled water will enhance and expand riparian habitats and wetlands by elevating groundwater levels, while also improving in-stream flows in the lower Cosumnes River. Additionally, the Program proposes to implement wintertime application of recycled water to help improve roosting and foraging habitat for Sandhill cranes and other wildlife.

“In 2007, Regional San identified the South County Ag Program as an opportunity to significantly increase and expand the use of recycled water in the Sacramento region. We have been involved in the planning and permitting efforts ever since. We’ve cleared a number of significant hurdles to get to this point of actually being able to make it a reality. Restoring groundwater levels while ensuring the long-term sustainability of regional agriculture and providing ecological benefits is important to the entire community, and the use of recycled water produced by Regional San is a reliable, safe, and efficient means of accomplishing these goals.”
Regional San Program Manager Mike Crooks

Proper management of water deliveries will involve extensive monitoring of environmental conditions – climate, soil moisture, and metering of on-farm deliveries, coupled with advanced delivery scheduling and predictive modeling – to maximize the benefit of the recycled water resource.

As a member of the capital program team, the Brown and Caldwell/Carollo JV will provide technical, financial, and project management oversight to help Regional San achieve its recycled water delivery goals by 2023. The team will advance planning efforts and deliver a basis of design that lays the foundation for cost and schedule-efficient design and construction of the new recycled water delivery system, consisting of a 95-mgd pump station and 65 miles of transmission and distribution pipelines. Additionally, the JV will support a public communications and outreach program to engage and involve community stakeholders throughout construction.

“The JV is honored to assist Regional San with this important program that will contribute to a sustainable environment for future generations,” said Carollo Engineers’ Project Manager Scott Parker. “Having worked side-by-side on the EchoWater Project for many years, coupled with our team’s experience in delivering highly technical water recycling projects throughout California, puts us in an excellent position to assist Regional San in making the Program a success.”

The Program’s next steps include continuing planning efforts with local farmers and beginning the preliminary design of the new recycled water pump station, transmission main, and distribution system pipelines. The first phase of the recycled water delivery system is expected to be operational by late 2023.

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