Addressing Water Quality and Meeting Permit Requirements Through Major Improvements

The EchoWater Facility in Elk Grove, California, formerly the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, required significant upgrades to address water quality concerns and meet new permit requirements. The new $300 million Tertiary Treatment Facility, also known as TTF, is one of several major EchoWater projects and converts wastewater to Title 22 recycled water, which offers opportunities for reuse to irrigate landscapes or agriculture, or provide cleaner discharge to the Sacramento River. 

TTF improvements included a new control center, chemical storage and feed systems, a backwash system, and power supply facilities. As the Program Management consultants, we partnered in a joint venture with Brown & Caldwell and led a blended team composed of District, Sacramento County and consultant staff. 

The team developed a detailed construction management plan that provided a structured approach, outlined roles and responsibilities, established protocols for communication and correspondence, delineated pre-construction, construction and post-construction phases, provided a quality control and assurance plan, implemented project controls, addressed environmental compliance and facilitated final completion and acceptance. These standardized construction management practices ensured consistency, reduced risks and enhanced overall project performance. By following the construction management plan, the TTF team met project objectives and delivered successful outcomes.

The permit compliance date set by the State of California Regional Water Quality Control Board for disinfection and filtering was May 9, 2023. The EchoWater Facility received the State Title 22 compliance certificate on April 18, 2023.

Despite unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on staffing and materials, the project was delivered on time, with substantial completion achieved on May 31, 2023, using a hard bid contract. Final cost was $309 million, less than 4% over the original bid price.