UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – Mortenson Construction teams this month marked their one-millionth hour worked without a lost-time injury on the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) expansion project, a rare feat even among the largest and most complex projects.
“One million hours worked without a lost-time injury is a rare milestone, and something that our team and craft workers should take great pride in,” said Tom Paul, Mortenson Construction’s Environmental General Manager. “We look forward to delivering this project to Pierce County residents this fall to meet the needs of the growing region for years to come.”
To celebrate the occasion, Laborers Local 252 treated the Mortenson project team, trade partners and craft to a barbeque lunch on March 11. By the time the expansion is completed, the project team will have amassed 1.2 million man-hours. Last May, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration named the project a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star, a designation reserved for worksites with comprehensive and successful safety and health management systems. VPP worksites are recognized for achieving injury and illness rates at or below the national average of their respective industries.
Currently, the Chambers Creek Regional WWTP facility provides wastewater management, collection and treatment services to about 252,000 customers, who generate an average of 19 million gallons of wastewater daily. Without the expansion, the plant would have reached maximum capacity this year.
The $239 million undertaking—which general contractor/construction manager Mortenson Construction kicked off in 2012— is designed to meet county growth needs through 2025. By 2020, the volume of wastewater is expected to reach 28 million gallons per day (MGD), increasing to 42 MGD by 2040.
The Chambers Creek Regional WWTP expansion also boosts the plant’s environmental profile, substantially reducing its energy consumption and increasing the production of the ever-popular SoundGRO fertilizer, which has been sold out for months.
Currently, three anaerobic digesters transform wastewater into methane, which turns the micro-turbines that generate electricity and heat for the plant. The expansion adds two more anaerobic digesters—for a total of five—to substantially curb the demand for external power. Nationally, WWTPs account for 1.5 percent of all energy use, while across many municipalities, WWTPs account for 30 percent to 40 percent of electricity costs.
The five anaerobic digesters will also be able to heat the Chambers Creek Regional WWTP year-round without added power.
Mortenson is currently in the final stage of construction. When completed, the project will serve residents in Lakewood, University Place, Dupont, Steilacoom and unincorporated Pierce County in Midland, Parkland, Spanaway, South Hill and the Frederickson area.