(DENVER - December 23, 2009) - The Metro Wastewater Reclamation District has selected HDR, a leading architecture/engineering/consulting firm, to perform a sustainability study for its proposed 20 - 24 million-gallon-per-day (mgd) Northern Treatment Plant, which is to be located just north of Brighton along the South Platte River.
The study will help the District develop goals and objectives for incorporating sustainability in the planning, design, construction and operation of the new treatment plant, which is scheduled to be up and running by 2015. The District is in the initial planning phase for a new treatment plant, transmission system and effluent pump back facilities. Results also will help District officials develop a decision-making process that supports a practical, quantifiable, cost-effective approach to sustainability.
As part of overall planning and design for the Northern Treatment Plant, the District plans to incorporate sustainability concepts that are evaluated and selected through a business case evaluation process. HDR will use a Sustainable Return on Investment process developed in-house by HDR economists.
"The sustainability study will help District officials make informed decisions to effectively balance the long-term economic, environmental and social impacts related to construction and operation of the new plant," said Kevin Bergschneider, HDR's Water/Wastewater program leader. "By incorporating sustainability concepts into the planning, design, construction and operational elements of the plant, District officials believe the new facility will be better positioned to accommodate long-term changes associated with population growth, regulatory development, technology innovations, stakeholder concerns and changing economic conditions," he said.
HDR is an employee-owned architectural, engineering and consulting firm with more than 7,800 professionals in more than 185 locations worldwide. All of them are committed to helping clients manage complex projects and make sound decisions. HDR is currently ranked No. 13 in the Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firms rankings and No.7 in wastewater.