Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC)

San Bernardino, Calif.

Awards of Merit

Submitted by: Balfour Beatty

Owner: East Valley Water District

Lead Design Firm: Arcadis

General Contractor: Balfour Beatty

Civil Engineer: WSP

Structural Engineer: Arcadis

MEP Engineer: Arcadis

Architect of Record: Ruhnau Clarke Architect

Construction Manager: AKD Consulting

Subcontractors: Helix Electric; Shook Building Systems Inc.; Pierre Landscaping; Anaergia; Weka Inc.; Steve P. Rados Inc.; J&M Concrete Contractors


Constructed on a 20-acre site, this $219.5-million state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility treats between 8-10 million gallons of water per day. The project’s scope also included a 14,325-sq-ft administrative center.

EVWD’s goal was to integrate advanced wastewater treatment technologies, renewable energy generation and community green spaces.

The East Valley Water District initiated the SNRC project through a collaborative procurement process. The design-build team embedded that culture throughout every facet of the project, even establishing a formalized partnering charter around their values of teamwork, respect, flexibility and technical excellence. Over five years of construction, the project team logged 800,745 total worker hours with only one lost-time incident. Throughout design, the team identified and eliminated hazards related to heavy equipment operation, electrical work and activities conducted at height. The team adopted a proactive stance, thoroughly assessing design choices to mitigate key safety concerns, such as being struck by objects, electrocution, falls and entrapment as well as weather-related risks to prevent heat-related illnesses and slips during rain.