Northern Water Treatment Plant Phase 2

To accommodate growing regional demands and improve water transfer efficiency between northern and southern portions of their service area, East Cherry Creek Valley Water & Sanitation District (ECCV) commissioned Garney to expand its water infrastructure. The regional water demand of the existing system required a comprehensive upgrade of their water treatment facilities. This expansion was crucial for ensuring a reliable water supply and enhancing system performance, benefiting communities from Aurora to Brighton. 

Northern Water Treatment Plant Phase 2 is one of several projects Garney has delivered for ECCV as part of a broader treatment plant expansion. Garney constructed a second water treatment plant on the existing site, boosting the total output to 20 million gallons daily (MGD) and allowing for enhanced water management through the existing deep injection wells. This expansion included a new chemical building that houses essential chemical systems and two reverse osmosis (RO) systems, and two High Pressure RO systems designed to maximize water recovery and minimize waste. This structure also features a 30,000-gallon permeate tank to further bolster system efficiency. The plant’s new two-story administration building replaced old office trailers, providing modern facilities for the staff, including a control room, labs, conference rooms, office spaces, and a kitchen. Garney performed all site work, utilities, 30,000 square yards (SY) of paving, and electrical and mechanical modifications to extend and upgrade the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. 

This project’s indoor hydrochloric acid storage facility is the largest operated by a municipality in the nation. It requires a specially engineered heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to withstand corrosion from the stored chemicals. Garney opted for garage doors over conventional masonry blackout panels in the chemical building to streamline maintenance and facilitate replacement. This solution accommodates the building’s 10 fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks for sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid, and RO scale inhibitor and allows for future expansion. The new and existing water treatment plant buildings also include fully automated controls so the facility can be started remotely and operated from the control room. This improvement significantly increases operator flexibility and functionality of the plant. 

This project represents the culmination of a long-term plan to enhance the water system’s capacity and efficiency and effectively expanded the capacity and efficiency of the Northern Water Treatment Plant. By working closely with the client, Garney delivered a state-of-the-art facility that accommodates current needs and future growth.