McCarthy Building Companies Selected as Contractor for Expansion of Sioux Falls Regional Water Reclamation Plant

Sioux Falls, SD — McCarthy Building Companies Inc.’s Water Services team has been selected as the construction manager at-risk for the $215 million expansion of the Sioux Falls Regional Water Reclamation Plant in Sioux Falls, SD.   

The first major expansion since the plant was built in the 1980s, it is expected to increase the facility’s capacity by 50 percent—from 21 to 30 million gallons per day—and enhance operational efficiencies to meet growing demand throughout the community and region. The expansion will also position the facility for future regulatory requirements.

“Sioux Falls and the surrounding region are experiencing tremendous population growth, which means critical infrastructure like the Sioux Falls Regional Water Reclamation Plant needs to grow with it,” said Mark Perry, Wastewater Superintendent for the City of Sioux Falls. “The plant rehabilitation and expansion project is a monumental undertaking. It requires hundreds of team members, both from the City of Sioux Falls and our partners at McCarthy, working together with our local labor force to ensure the plant continues serving our community today and for future generations.”

• Improvements for the facility located at 4500 N. Sycamore Ave. in Sioux Falls include the following:
• Construction of a new three-story “headworks” building, where wastewater initially enters the treatment process.
• Installation of new generators at the existing plant, which will also undergo an extensive electrical system upgrade.
• Installation of three additional aeration basins where wastewater is treated by microbes, as well as four “final clarifiers,” which are large circular pools where solids separate from treated water..
• Expansion of an area of the plant where water is treated with chlorine, including the addition of more storage tanks.

The project is utilizing a collaborative project delivery approach known as Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR). The CMAR method is used by state, local and private entities to ensure firm pricing and alignment of scope and budget throughout the project, as well as to allow for earlier bid packages for procurement to help mitigate ongoing supply chain and cost escalation risks. 

Site preparation began in fall 2021 and notice to proceed for the main project was effective as of July 5, 2022. In addition to moving 27,000 cubic yards of dirt to prepare for construction, work has included placing the first 5,000 cubic yards of the 16,000 cubic yards of concrete projected, installing the first two miles of the planned eight miles of underground piping, and operating two tower cranes onsite. Additional site preparation has included the installation of temporary electrical power lines for the blower building, lime feed silos, and other work. 

Expected to be completed by 2025, the project received funding through loans from the State Revolving Fund, a state-level program that provides low-interest loans to water, wastewater, and sewer projects. 

In addition to McCarthy, project partners include Carollo Engineers, Inc., an environmental engineering firm specializing in the planning, design and construction management of water and wastewater facilities for municipal and public sector clients, and Henry Carlson Construction of Sioux Falls, providing pre-construction and construction services.