Award of Merit Green Project: Ship Creek Water Treatment Facility Heat Exchanger

By linking its water utility and power station to a heat exchanger system, the city of Anchorage is addressing multiple environmental problems at once.

PHOTO COURTESY OF R&M CONSULTANTS INC.

Ship Creek Water Treatment Facility Heat Exchanger
Anchorage
Award of Merit

Owner: Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility
Lead Design Firm/Civil/Structural Engineer: R&M Consultants Inc.
General Contractor: Frawner Corp.
MEP Engineer: EDC Inc.
Metal Fabrication: Precision Maintenance and Fabrication Inc.

By linking its water utility and power station to a heat exchanger system, the city of Anchorage is addressing multiple environmental problems at once. The Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility draws enough excess heat from the Municipal Light and Power plant, located on the same Ship Creek campus, to warm 27 million gallons of water every hour.

Heating cold water is energy-intensive, and releasing waste heat from power plants into the atmosphere contributes to air pollution and plant efficiency loss. The $70.8-million project’s five heat exchangers are certified for potable water, a first for the industry and a challenge to the project team, which worked with the manufacturer to obtain the proper certification.

Prefabricated custom pipe fittings facilitated quick assembly to limit downtime.

Related Article: Top Projects Reflect Innovation, Creativity