Carlsbad Water Recycling Facility (CWRF) Phase III Expansion - Design/Build

By 2020, one in every four gallons of water used in Carlsbad will be recycled water, according to Public Works Director Pat Thomas. To achieve that ambitious goal, the city is expanding the Carlsbad Water Recycling Facility (CWRF), and administrators tapped Harris & Associates to provide critical construction management services for the $8 million design-build (DB) project.

Harris' veteran construction manager Gary Beach represents the city's interests while serving as the chief liaison for all parties, including the DB team (CDM Smith) and the City—addressing daily concerns, negotiating solutions and ensuring that all work meets contract requirements.

Harris' role on the CWRF project also includes:

• Coordinating between the DB team and plant staff to schedule tie-ins and shut-downs
• Monitoring and tracking the project schedule and budget
• Continuously documenting progress
• Providing quality assurance review
• Observing and coordinating startup and testing activities

Core Elements

The project involves the design and construction of treatment facilities to expand the CWRF’s capacity with an additional 3.38 millions of gallons of water/day of Ultra Filtration Membrane system. The project’s main features include:

• Supply and install of three pressurized ultrafiltration (UF) units, two 10,000 gallon tanks, compressors, blowers, MCC, and chemical and water pumps
• Three UF feed pumps
• Doubling the size of the chlorine contact basin
• Buried process piping
• Enhancements to the existing granular media filtration system to improve filtration
• Integration upgrade of the plant’s supervisory PLC system

All foundations and underground piping were excavated utilizing open-cut construction. Harris also oversaw and approved the installation of the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan for environmental controls.

Beyond the Blueprints

Gary Beach’s project management experience and a proactive approach keep unforeseen issues at bay. His hands-on, team-based approach to construction management builds trust among all parties and enables all involved to feel comfortable in their roles. This results in fewer than average change orders and, in this case, delivery of an aggressive 11-month schedule. The design for the facility started in August 2015, was approved in December; construction began in late January 2016 and water system testing began eight months later (with one month of major construction remaining).

Recycled water from the CWRF will benefit several municipal parks, median strips, shopping areas, freeway landscaping, and several local businesses.