DENVER, May 25, 2016 — (PRNewswire) — The City of Houston, Texas, and the City of San Jose, California, each selected CH2M as its design-build partner for a major water project—the $1.2 billion Northeast Water Purification Plant Expansion (NEWPP) project and the $85 million Cogeneration Facility Project, respectively.

"As one of the founding members of the Water Design-Build Council (WDBC), CH2M is an industry leader in alternative delivery methods, including design-build, where we have successfully leveraged our technology and process innovations, as well as our relationships, to deliver solutions for our water clients, including Pima County, Arizona; Spokane County, Washington; Woodland-Davis, California; and others," said Global Water Business Group President Peter Nicol. "Utilizing alternative delivery methods saves time, reduces cost and improves project coordination to ensure process needs, budget and schedule requirements are met and risks associated with the project are managed."

Building upon lessons learned from major design-build projects, the NEWPP project, which is the largest Progressive Design-Build project of its kind in the nation, will be delivered over the next nine years by the Houston Waterworks Team, a joint venture between CH2M and CDM Smith. The Houston Waterworks Team is responsible for designing and constructing a new water facility, as well as start-up, commissioning and operating activities. By offering integrated design, construction and operating capabilities, the team will help the City of Houston save nearly $9 million in operations and maintenance costs related to power, chemicals and residuals disposal. The project includes expanding the City of Houston's existing NEWPP from 80 mgd to 320 mgd through two construction phases, while ensuring high water quality and production rates to meet regional surface water conversion mandates.

"For more than 40 years, we have successfully delivered the largest water treatment plants in Texas, many for the City of Houston," added Nicol. "We are proud to continue our delivery partnership with the City to meet the future water needs of the Greater Houston area with the NEWPP project."

Additionally, CH2M is serving as Design-Builder for the new Cogeneration Facility at the San José Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. The Cogeneration Facility will provide reliable on-site power and heat, replacing aging cogeneration equipment at the Wastewater Facility that has been subject to breakdowns of increasing frequency and severity. This project is also being delivered using a Progressive Design-Build approach and consists of advanced generation internal combustion engines selected based on their low capital cost, high electrical efficiency and availability of high-grade heat for the anaerobic digestion tanks. New engines will be incorporated to meet projected power demands, allowing for the largest advanced wastewater facility in the western United States to clean wastewater for the San Francisco South Bay uninterrupted; thereby continuing to protect public health, the environment and support Silicon Valley businesses. The engines will maximize the use of available digester gas, blended with natural gas, to generate and meet on-site power requirements with future potential of using additional available landfill gas. The Cogeneration Facility project scope includes a new digester gas treatment system, control system and monitoring system with connectivity to the Wastewater Facility's Distributed Control System, electrical switchgear, various additional appurtenances in support of the engines and building, a new digester gas pipeline and natural gas pipeline, new heat recovery systems, and civil work including parking areas and utilities.

About CH2M

CH2M is a leading professional services firm delivering sustainable solutions to clients working on the world's most complex challenges. CH2Mers make a positive difference providing consulting, design, engineering and management solutions for vital infrastructure and resources serving diverse public- and private-sector clients. With $5.4 billion in revenue and ~22,000 people, the firm has offices in 50 countries and four business groups: water; environment and nuclear; transportation; and energy and industrial. Known for managing global events such as the Olympic Games, CH2M ranks among Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies; number-one in environmental consulting and program management by Engineering News-Record; and among sustainability leaders by independent analyst Verdantix. CH2M in 2016 was selected to receive the World Environment Center's Gold Medal Award for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development, and in 2015, received the Stockholm International Water Institute's highest Industry Water Award for advancing innovative potable reuse technologies. To learn more about the CH2M difference, connect with the firm at www.ch2m.com; linkedin.com/company/ch2m; twitter.com/ch2m; facebook.com/ch2mhill; and search for jobs at www.ch2m.com/careers.

About San José Environmental Services Department (ESD) and the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility

San José, Capital of Silicon Valley, is the largest city in Northern California and the tenth largest city in the nation. The San José Environmental Services Department manages garbage and recycling services; watershed protection and pollution prevention; municipal drinking water and recycled water; sustainability initiatives; and the operation and infrastructure improvements of the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF). With a mission to deliver world class utility services and programs to improve our health, environment, and economy; the department is committed to being a leader in combating climate change at the local level. Find more information at www.sjenvironment.org or follow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram @sjenvironment. 

The Regional Wastewater Facility is jointly owned by the cities of San José and Santa Clara with the San José Environmental Services Department serving as the operator and administrator. It serves more than 1.4 million residents and over 100,000 businesses in eight Silicon Valley cities including San José, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Monte Sereno.

Operating around the clock since 1956, the RWF treats about 110 million gallons of wastewater daily that is then discharged into the waters of southern San Francisco Bay. The treated wastewater helps keep the Bay clean and supports a diverse ecosystem of birds, fish, and habitat. The RWF consistently meets 100 percent of its state and federal discharge permit requirements.

San José is implementing a 10-year $1.4 billion RWF Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Replacing the obsolete 1950's wastewater infrastructure with more efficient and modern technologies will continue its long-term role in protecting public health and the environment in the South Bay.

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SOURCE CH2M