AECOM provided construction management, resident engineering and inspection services, quality control, safety oversight, and contract administration in support of a major capital improvement program at the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant handles 70 percent of wastewater from the entire Washington, D.C. area, serves 2.1 million people, and is the largest advanced wastewater plant in the United States.
AECOM was responsible for six contracts with a total constructed value of $419 million. The capital improvement program at Blue Plains was focused on increasing the efficiency of the plant and improving the quality of plant effluent. We increased the plant capacity from 309 million gallons per day (mgd) to 370 mgd at normal flows and 511 mgd to 740 mgd at peak flows.
AECOM oversaw the improvements on:
- The plant’s effluent filtration system
- Raw wastewater pumping station
- Secondary treatment facilities
- High voltage cable and substation replacement
- New alternate disinfection facilities
- Improvements to the chemical storage systems
- Sludge dewatering and handling improvements
- Additional centrifuges
- Construction of a new dry polymer storage and distribution system
We managed 18 separate construction contracts that included coordinating site activities and resolving conflicts among the authority, contractors, consultants, designers, and plant personnel. AECOM worked closely with plant operators and contractors to plan and schedule ways to support work while minimizing disruptions to plant operations. In all cases where automation was included, we provided formal training for the plant operators, primarily during the final testing and prove-out prior to acceptance.