Western Townships Utilities Authority Master Plan Improvements (MI)

Challenge

Western Townships Utilities Authority needed to increase storage capacity at its Lower Rouge Equalization Facility to manage additional wastewater flow needs identified in its service area master plan. In addition to the new 3 mgd storage tank, the project included multiple plant upgrades at both the Lower Rouge and upstream Middle Rouge equalization facilities and pump stations. A key challenge was to design and build the improvements and new storage tank within the limited area available on the existing site while keeping the pump stations and storage facilities operational with limited interruptions and shutdowns.

Approach

This was Western Townships Utilities Authority’s first collaborative delivery project, and it chose the progressive design-build (PDB) model to enable owner input on the design and foster a true team approach to the project from inception through completion. The PDB model allowed the team to evaluate alternative design ideas and choose the one that worked best for the owner’s needs. Collaborative delivery allowed the owner to see how different tank configurations could be built on its existing site and how that would affect its budget and future needs for the site. This delivery method also allowed the team to predetermine when shutdowns would occur in the schedule in order to limit plant interruptions.

Results

Completed on time, under budget, and with no injuries, this project provided local construction jobs for two years. A keystone of this project’s success was robust communication and coordination among all team members, which included continuous communication with the owner and its facility operations staff during design development and construction activities. These relationships facilitated development of innovative ideas relating to tank location, stormwater storage pond locations, and construction techniques to reduce overall project schedule and approaches that yielded optimal solutions for short-term construction sequencing and long-term facility operations, which expedited decision-making and implementation.