PCL Construction is building the Salt Lake City New Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) which is rated to treat an average of 48 million gallons of water per day (MGD) once completed and will have the ability to expand capacity in the future. The new treatment plant will comply with state water quality standards enacted in 2016 that require additional removal of phosphorus in the wastewater treatment process.

This project is the largest public works project ever undertaken by the City of Salt Lake Department of Public Utilities. The new facility will eliminate the outdated treatment process the original plant was utilizing and introduce a Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) process UV disinfection system, among other treatment advancements. The construction scope for the new plant also includes a solids dewatering facility, a chemical feed facility and a new electrical substation with four standby generators. The project is on track to achieve Envision Platinum certification, a sustainability rating system that has become prominent in civil infrastructure projects. 

The new plant is being constructed on land previously occupied by concrete-lined digested sludge dry beds. To maintain operations during construction, the City of Salt Lake had to implement a temporary dewatering solution to replace the function of the drying beds. However, the temporary system proved to be inefficient and costly. The team stepped in, utilizing the flexibility of the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) model, which promotes early procurement and continuous collaboration. The integrated project team proposed installing two of the four new procured pieces of dewatering equipment intended for the new plant into the temporary system. This approach allowed the City of Salt Lake to improve the temporary operations while gaining experience with the new equipment. Once the plant nears completion, the equipment will be removed from the temporary operations, refurbished and installed in the new facility. The team delivered an innovative, cost-effective solution that benefited the entire project.

Another challenge of this project identified early on was the soil conditions at the new plant site. After working with the geotechnical engineer, the integrated project team elected to surcharge the site, which involves placing a temporary load on the soil surface to improve its stability and ensure it can withstand the weight of the permanent structure that will be built on it. The team trucked in nearly two million tons of dirt that spread across 30 acres to stabilize the ground for the new plant and surrounding infrastructure. While the dirt had to remain in place for eight months, the solution was cost-effective and ensured long-term structural integrity.

The CMAR contract model has enabled collaborative problem-solving throughout the project. PCL and Sundt were brought in during the design phase and provided cost modeling and value engineering solutions that saved the city millions of dollars. Their early involvement in procurement and construction planning was critical in maintaining the existing plant's operations while simultaneously developing the new facility. The new WRF will not only meet modern regulations but also set a benchmark for sustainable and collaborative water and wastewater infrastructure development.