Merit Water/Environment: South Wastewater Treatment Plant Wet Weather Improvements-Phase II

Baton Rouge, La.

Key Players

Owner Parish of East Baton Rouge

Lead Design Firm CH2M

General Contractor Brasfield & Gorrie LLC

This project was the final phase in a series of three projects to improve the plant’s operational and mechanical reliability and maintain discharge permit compliance. Phase 2 was the largest capital improvement project in Baton Rouge history.

The improvements increased plant treatment capacity to 205 million gallons per day from 120 mgd by constructing solids contact basins for wet weather flows that resulted in effluent quality that was able to meet regulatory requirements.

Constant challenges for the project team included keeping the existing plant operating at peak performance during heavy construction, keeping plant staff safe, outfall permitting, high water levels of the Mississippi River and maintaining safe site access for the plant staff.

The project was forced to incorporate a high number of plant shutdowns into its schedule while maintaining an active facility for the department of public works.

Teams also incorporated innovative construction techniques including DeWaal (displacement pile) installation technology, a quiet operation that eliminated pile driving hammer noise and vibration inside the existing treatment plant facility and in the surrounding neighborhood.