DBO wastewater treatment plant completed in Oregon

Denver — The City of Wilsonville, Ore., celebrated completion of the city’s new wastewater treatment plant on April 24. The $42 million Design-Build-Operation (DBO) project, awarded to CH2M HILL was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

“Teamwork and collaboration are at the heart of DBO projects and was key to the successful completion of the new facility in Wilsonville,” said Joe Glicker, CH2M HILL DBO Director. “The plant’s expansion benefits the city in so many ways, and will protect the environment and help the community grow for years to come.”

Wilsonville’s wastewater treatment plant was rebuilt, upgraded and expanded to include modern wastewater treatment technology, a new odor system, and increased capacity from 2.5 to 4 million gallons per day (mgd), with future expansion capabilities to 7 mgd. The upgrade and expansion included two new structures, including a dewatering and drying building, as well as a head works building to produce Class A biosolids for land application and fertilizer.

The original facility was built in the 1970s and has undergone upgrades over the years to accommodate the city’s population growth and maintain aging equipment. The latest comprehensive upgrade and expansion project enables Wilsonville to meet the community’s current needs and future growth over the next 20 years and will ensure clean water for tomorrow by protecting the environment and improving the quality of effluent discharged to the Willamette River.

CH2M HILL took over the plant’s operations in September 2011, during the construction phase, and will continue to operate the plant for the next 20 years under the DBO contract.

The project, which is the first DBO project of its kind in Oregon, was recognized as the 2013 Environmental Project of the Year by the Oregon Chapter of the American Public Works Association