July 6th will go down in the history books as the date a critical milestone was achieved for the City of Lawrence, Kansas. McCarthy Building Cos., serving as the general contractor alongside the engineer of record, Black and Veatch, completed the modernization of the Kansas River Wastewater Treatment Plant (KRWWTP). 

The $74.3 million project completely overhauled the facility, originally built in 1956. This upgrade is the city’s second-largest investment in wastewater infrastructure. City officials, community leaders, and members of the project team all gathered for the inauguration of the newly renovated treatment plant.

The KRWWTP processes 80% of the city’s daily wastewater, totaling 8 million gallons, before discharging the treated water into the Kansas River. Upgrading the aging infrastructure will help the city meet current and future water quality standards as prescribed in the updated National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit standards. The NPDES standards have been set by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. 

The KRWWTP was the only wastewater treatment plant in the city until the Wakarusa River Wastewater Treatment Plant became operational in 2018.

McCarthy’s involvement began in the design phase, before construction began in May 2023. This early collaboration helped identify construction challenges, develop solutions, and create the procurement strategy. 

One of the biggest challenges faced by the construction team was keeping the plant operational while the upgrade work was underway. McCarthy had created 130 detailed operational sequencing plans to resolve this issue.

Trevor Flynn, Assistant Director of Municipal Services and Operations, City of Lawrence, explained, “The city is thrilled to have completed this challenging infrastructure project that modernizes our processes and performance, resulting in significant sustainability enhancements while improving the water quality of our treated effluent entering the Kansas River.”  

Key upgrades in the modernization projects included:

1. Four aeration basins were converted to Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) basins to remove increased quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater discharged into the Kansas River.
2.  The existing chlorine contact basin was replaced by the UV disinfection system. This will help replace chemical treatment with a more sustainable alternative.
3. A new SCADA facility was installed to improve operational efficiency through real-time monitoring and control across all plant systems. This will allow operators to respond quickly to changing conditions.
4. 10 major control centers and switchboards were replaced with modern alternatives, helping extend the plant’s life. 

The project was completed using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) method.

The team recorded over 252,000 hours of construction work with no recorded casualties, showcasing the team’s commitment to safety. 

“As the City’s first-ever CMAR wastewater project, this effort demonstrated how a collaborative delivery approach can create meaningful value for the client and all project partners by strengthening coordination, reducing risk, and supporting smart solutions from preconstruction through completion,” explained Kerry Klausner, senior project director for McCarthy.

McCarthy had previously completed the $168 million Mesa, Arizona, water treatment project, alongside Black & Veatch. They are also part of the joint venture with Jacobs, which has broken ground on the $185-million SoCal Water Resilience project.