CH2M, GSP advancing design of wastewater improvements in Guam

Guam — Guam Waterworks Authority (GWA) selected the DCA team, including CH2M; Gresham, Smith and Partners (GSP); and others, to provide engineering design of a $140 million upgrade to its North District Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project will support GWA’s vision to be a world-class provider of water and wastewater services, as well as the U.S. mission in Guam.

The upgrades will allow the wastewater treatment plant to provide secondary treatment, or the use of biological processes, to achieve a higher level of removal of contaminants. Additionally, providing secondary treatment aligns with GWA’s commitment to environmental stewardship by protecting the fragile ocean ecosystem. The facility upgrades will meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IX secondary effluent standards, significantly improving the quality of the effluent discharged to coastal waters.

Increasing the facility capacity to 9 million-gallons-per-day will also enable the relocation of about 5,000 Marines and their dependents from Okinawa, Japan to the planned, new Marine Corps Base Guam. The NDWWTP is one of the wastewater treatment plants and associated outfalls that are part of GWA’s wastewater system, which serves 160,000 Territory of Guam residents, U.S. Defense Installations and up to 136,000 international visitors in peak months.

“These wastewater improvements are critical to the U.S. mission in Guam,” said Ken Thompson, CH2M Project Manager. “Their efficiencies and innovations will help Guam Waterworks Authority continue to deliver its promise of protecting the environment and maintaining a high quality of life for its residents while supporting the U.S. military mission.”

As a key member of the DCA team, CH2M will lead the solids design, project controls and quality control efforts and will support planning for the project. Over their 27-year relationship, CH2M and DCA have partnered on various infrastructure efforts for Guam and the Marianas, including developing a recent 20-year water and wastewater master plan with a capital improvement program for the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota.

Ranked as one of the top two wastewater treatment plant firms in the world by Engineering News-Record, CH2M has delivered wastewater treatment projects since its founding more than 70 years ago.