McCarthy Building Company has reached another milestone in its water project portfolio. In collaboration with record engineer Black & Veatch, the company announced on Monday the completion of the modernization project of the Kansas River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Lawrence, Kansas, with a total project cost of $74.3 million.

According to the announcement, the core of this facility upgrade involved converting four aeration basins into biological nutrient removal basins, aimed at significantly reducing nitrogen and phosphorus discharges into the Kansas River. Additionally, a new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system will enable plant operators to monitor and control all plant systems in real time. The scope of work also included electrical and infrastructure upgrades.

McCarthy stated that this upgrade was driven by the plant's aging equipment and increasingly stringent regulatory requirements. After the renovation, the facility now meets the latest National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit standards set by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

According to McCarthy, the plant, which has been in operation since 1956, currently treats approximately 8 million gallons of the city's wastewater per day, accounting for about 80% of the city's total. Based on the city's wastewater treatment information page, the plant was the city's only wastewater treatment facility until the Wakarusa River Wastewater Treatment Plant began operations in 2018.

This project also holds special significance for the city of Lawrence: McCarthy delivered it using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery method, marking the first time this contract format was applied to a wastewater treatment project in the city. In recent years, the use of CMAR in infrastructure projects has been steadily increasing, and experts believe it effectively reduces owner risk.

"As the city's first CMAR wastewater project, this endeavor demonstrates that a collaborative delivery approach can create tangible value for owners and all project partners by enhancing coordination, reducing risk, and supporting smart solutions from preconstruction through completion," said Kerry Klausner, senior project director at McCarthy, in a press release.

Like many contractors, McCarthy is actively expanding its water projects nationwide. In January of this year, the company, along with partner Black & Veatch, reached a key milestone on a $168 million water treatment project in Mesa, Arizona; in June, a joint venture of McCarthy and Jacobs launched an $185 million water project in Torrance, California.