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.