DBIA Recognizes Ave Maria Project
CH2M Hill, an engineering, procurement, construction, and operations firm, received the Project of the Year Award from the New York Tri-State Region of the Design-Build Institute of America, according to an Oct. 20 press release.
The firm was recognized for its work on the Ave Maria Water Treatment Plant and Water Reclamation Facility in Ave Maria, Fla.
The award was granted in the water and wastewater category and was presented at the annual award dinner on Oct. 16.
Ave Maria is a new, master-planned community built in southwest Florida that includes a university, more than 1 million square feet of commercial property, and about 11,000 homes. The development represents a unique approach to building a town because it has been developed in conjunction with a new university and oratory, which form the center of the community.
CH2M Hill led the permitting, design, construction, and operation of the centrally located 1.67 million gallon-per-day (mgd) water and 1.25 mgd wastewater facilities, including a wetlands treatment system. The wastewater treatment plant produces reclaimed quality water for public irrigation including residential lawns and landscaping. The firm also designed a natural treatment wetland system to provide a sustainable, environmentally beneficial, wet-weather storage system.
The completed wetlands system results in the hydrologic and ecological restoration of 160 acres of cypress wetland and marsh using highly treated reclaimed water. Public-use facilities include hiking trails, boardwalks, information kiosks, and overlooks. The firm also performs comprehensive administrative services for the Ave Maria Utility Company, LLP.