Southwest Wet-Weather Control Facility
Elmhurst, Ill.      
Award of Merit

Owner: City of Elmhurst, Ill.
Lead Design Firm: RJN Group Inc.
General Contractor: Boller Construction Co.
Structural Engineer: McCluskey Engineering Corp.
MEP Engineer: MEADE
Pipeline Construction: Archon Construction Co.
B&W Control Systems Integration: Instrumentation and Controls

This $9.15-million facility was designed to control flow in a dry- and wet-weather pumping station, provide protection to property owners and mitigate recurring basement backup issues.

Automated triggers control the operation of the pumps and valves that route flow to either the dry-weather force main, the wet-weather force main and storage tank or an ESO force main. An existing lift station needed to remain in service throughout construction of the new control facility.

Early in construction, Elmhurst experienced multiple breaks on the old force main and it was decided that the existing station needed to be connected to the new force main immediately. This required a complete change to the planned sequence of construction to keep the station in operation. During excavation, a large mass of concrete was discovered below ground in the area where the existing lift building was to be expanded, forcing a modification of the foundation design.

Another challenge happened even earlier as the original general contractor on two of the four construction contracts filed for bankruptcy. Although very little construction had started, construction materials and equipment had already been purchased. Some equipment would randomly show up at the treatment plant after the bankruptcy. Developing a contract for the new general contractor and resolving various subcontractor issues related to new subcontracts took many months.

Related Article: A Great Year for Midwestern Innovation