Spokane County Hires CH2M Hill for DBO Reclamation Facility
Spokane County Commissioners selected full-service engineering, procurement, construction, and operations firm CH2M Hill to design, build, and operate a new wastewater treatment facility.
In January 2009, the company began design and permit work on the facility valued at nearly $130 million. The new Regional Water Reclamation Facility is expected to improve Spokane County’s wastewater treatment capabilities, serve anticipated population growth, and meet septic tank elimination goals, while improving water quality and the environment by reducing phosphorus and other nutrient discharges to the Spokane River. The design-build-operate approach minimizes short-term capital expenses and long-term operational costs.
The 8-million gallon-per-day (mgd) water reclamation facility will be expandable to 24 mgd and will use state-of-the-art membrane bioreactor and nutrient removal treatment to reduce phosphorus levels in the effluent to less than 50 parts per billion.
The firm will design the facility with a focus on minimizing environmental impact. A sustainable design allows energy recovered through digester gas production, process heating, and co-generation systems to generate electricity to help run the facility. A LEED Silver rating will be met for several key buildings.
The company also has committed to subcontract construction work to local business enterprises to support the local economy and to retain as much work – and the county’s investment – within surrounding communities.
The plant, expected to begin operations in 2012, will be operated by CH2M Hill for 20 years.