Walnut Creek, California-based Brown and Caldwell announced Sept. 8 that the city of Anaheim, California, has enlisted the
company to provide owner advisory services for the design-build delivery of
multiple groundwater treatment plants.
The new facilities will play a role in
Anaheim’s efforts to be compliant with recent state per- and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS) regulations and ensure water supplies continue to meet state
and federal quality standards.
Following a PFAS pilot program undertaken by the Orange County Water
District to identify a local remedy to remove trace amounts of the manmade
chemicals from groundwater, Anaheim is installing multiple groundwater
treatment plants to eliminate PFAS from local groundwater supplies.
The heat- and water-resistant chemical
properties of PFAS make them difficult to remove through chemical and
biological processes in conventional water and wastewater treatment, therefore,
new technologically advanced plants are required. The total construction budget
of the groundwater treatment plants program is estimated to be $80 million to
$100 million, delivered in three phases, and three design-build projects, over
five years.
Earlier this year, Orange County water agencies
took more than 40 drinking water wells in north and central Orange County out
of service, temporarily resulting in increased reliance on costlier water
supplies imported from Northern California and the Colorado River. Long term,
county water agencies are constructing new treatment facilities to remove PFAS
from drinking water wells and provide a local supply.
“This is an important project for Anaheim to
alleviate our reliance on imported water supplies. With many of our wells shut
down, we are developing groundwater treatment options to be able to use
affordable, safe and dependable local groundwater for the long-term benefit of
customers,” Anaheim Public Utilities Assistant General Manager Michael Moore
says.
As owner advisor, Brown and Caldwell will
assist Anaheim in the planning, procurement and construction of the groundwater
treatment plants. The firm’s responsibilities include procurement planning,
project technical requirements definition, evaluating the best available
delivery method, procurement support to identify and select design-build
entities, and construction oversight.
“We applaud Anaheim for their
forward-thinking approach to navigating the regulatory landscape and providing
their customers with a quality, affordable water supply,” Brown and Caldwell
Project Manager Rod Pope says. “We look forward to collaborating with Anaheim’s
leadership and the chosen design-build entities to make this project a
success.”
Presently, Anaheim is defining the projects
and performing pilot testing for the first phase of projects. Design,
construction and commissioning of the new facilities is expected to start by
spring 2021 and be complete by spring 2023.
