McCarthy’s Chandler Airport Water Reclamation Facility expansion project in Arizona was recently recognized as Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA). This is the second significant award for the project, which was also honored in recent months by the Arizona Water Association as Wastewater Project of the Year.
The $75 million wastewater treatment plant, constructed for the city of Chandler, is located near McQueen and Queen Creek roads and received the award in the Environment category for construction projects costing between $25 million and $75 million. The APWA presented the award to the project team at the association’s statewide conference held in Phoenix last week.
The award recognizes public infrastructure projects that exemplify excellence in management and administration, including safety performance, construction techniques, community relations and environmental stewardship.
“We’re honored that this project has been named ‘Project of the Year’ by the American Public Works Association, the oldest and largest organization of its kind in the world,” said Robert Knochenhauer, vice president and business unit leader of McCarthy’s Water Services team. “Our project team was able to stay focused on keeping the facility running throughout the entire expansion process and never once caused the plant to be out of compliance.”
The construction expanded the AWRF’s treatment capacity from 10 million gallons per day (mgd) to 15 mgd and included the installation of new treatment processes, equipment and reservoirs. In addition to increased capacity, the plant also boasts enhanced reclaimed water capabilities, which support the use of recycled/reused water for irrigation purposes.
The project team logged more than 650,000 man-hours over the 29-month-long project without a single lost time incident, a remarkable safety record.
Planning and pre-construction for the Chandler Airport Water Reclamation Facility began in March 2007 and the project was completed in November 2009.
About McCarthy
Ranked among the “Best Places to Work” by The Business Journal in Phoenix, McCarthy has helped define the Arizona landscape for more than 30 years. Founded in 1864, McCarthy is one of the oldest and largest privately held construction firms in the nation. The Water Services team in the Southwest offers general contracting, construction management, program management and design-build services for wastewater and water treatment projects in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. The team also covers construction projects in the mining, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels industries. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. For more information, visit www.mccarthy.com.
