A formal groundbreaking event with local, county and state elected officials, water retail agencies and representatives from the design firm and construction team was held on January 17, marking the start of the project. Guest speakers included Claudia C. Alvarez, Esq., President, Orange County Water District; Roger C. Yoh, P.E., Board Member, Orange County Water District and Chair, GWRS Steering Committee; and Larry Crandall, Chair, Orange County Sanitation District and Vice Chair, GWRS Steering Committee.  Immediately following the presentation, officials and project team members used ceremonial shovels to break ground where the expansion will take place.

“The GWRS established the benchmark for international water projects and water reuse technology,” said OCWD General Manager Mike Markus. “Most importantly, the GWRS has provided a reliable, locally-controlled source of water forOrangeCountyduring a time when the availability of imported water is decreasing while its cost is increasing. We live in a naturally arid region. The GWRS Expansion will provide us with the water supply reliability that we need, while creating hundreds of local jobs that will benefitOrangeCounty’s economy through the development, construction and operation of the project. In short, it’s the perfect project at the perfect time.”

The GWRS, a joint project of OCWD and Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), takes highly treated wastewater that would have normally been discharged into the Pacific Ocean and purifies it through a three-step process that includes microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide. 35 million gallons of near-distilled quality GWRS water per day is pumped into injection wells where it serves as a seawater intrusion barrier. Another 35 million gallons per day is pumped in a 13-mile long pipe to OCWD recharge basins inAnaheim,California. The GWRS water then filters through sand and gravel to replenish the deep aquifers ofOrangeCounty’s groundwater basin and ultimately becomes part of the drinking water supply.

Serving as general contractor for the expansion, McCarthy will construct a 30 million gallon per day (MGD) treatment facility expanding the 70 MGD GWRS that was completed in 2008.  Parsons of Pasadena is construction manager for the project and Black and Veatch of Irvine is the structural, civil, electrical and mechanical engineer.

The project entails expansion of the existing microfiltration facility by constructing eight new below-grade treatment basins and enlarging the existing basement facility. Other work includes construction of a new 32,000-square-foot reverse osmosis building, the installation of five new ultraviolet light (UV) treatment trains to match the existing systems, as well as retrofitting the existing post treatment systems to employ a new lime feed system. McCarthy will also construct two above ground steel tanks, each is 215 feet in diameter with a height of 35 feet and a capacity to hold 7.5 million gallons of water.

“The project will be carefully executed in order to mitigate any disruptions to the existing plant while conducting a complex facility expansion with significant construction challenges,” said McCarthy project manager Curtis Horner. “The microfiltration facility is a very complicated water bearing structure tucked into an extremely tight footprint. This 30 foot deep structure is bordered on all four sides just beyond the limits of construction by existing structures and piping.  The excavations and concrete durations alone will take approximately 14 months to complete.”

The Reverse Osmosis building also provides project challenges explained Horner. “The RO facility is located in an area bordered by the existing facility, a substation, a pumping area and another building. Furthermore, the structure will sit on more than 200 piles with a long, extensive concrete scope followed by extensive mechanical work.”

The GWRS is the largest advanced water treatment facility of its kind in the world and has garnered more than 35 regional, state and international awards including the prestigious American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2009 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award for the year’s most outstanding national engineering project, and the Stockholm 2008 Industry Award for the year’s most outstanding international water project.

“We are proud to be a part of this complex and vital project to mitigate the challenges associated with an otherwise dwindling water supply in Orange County,” said Mark Mardock McCarthy Executive Vice President. It’s exciting to not only  be involved with an internationally renowned project, but also helping to provide a environmentally responsible, reliable and safe source of water which is critical to the public health and economy of Orange County.”

Construction work is scheduled to complete in September 2014. 

For more information about the project, go to www.gwrsystem.com, Twitter @OCWDWaterNews or Orange County’s Groundwater Replenishment System on Facebook.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest commercial construction companies and a leading water treatment facility builder. With nearly  150 years of experience, McCarthy is committed to the construction of high performance buildings. The company provides general contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for water treatment, healthcare, education, parking, entertainment, retail, laboratory, biotechnical, microelectronic, and industrial facilities; office buildings; tenant interiors; mixed-use; and bridges and highways. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; Houston; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

About Orange County Water District
Orange County Water District (OCWD) manages the large groundwater basin that underlies north and central OrangeCountythat provides most of the water for about 2.4 million citizens. OCWD is committed to enhancing OrangeCounty’s groundwater quality and reliability in an environmentally friendly manner. With more than 75 years of prudent planning and careful investment, OCWD has doubled the sustainable yield of the groundwater basin. OCWD is a special district established by the California State Legislature in 1933 and governed by a 10-member board of directors. Separate from the Countyof Orange, OCWD supplies water to residents in the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminsterand Yorba Linda. Go to www.ocwd.com for information. For more information go to www.ocwd.com.

About Orange County Sanitation District
The Orange County Sanitation District is a public agency responsible for safely collecting and treating wastewater (sewage) for 2.5 million people. OCSD beneficially reuses and recycles the treated wastewater and other resources resulting from the treatment process. It is a special district established by the California State Legislature and governed by a 25-member board of directors. The directors are comprised of elected representatives for each of the sewer agencies or cities within OCSD’s 471-square mile service area. Go to www.ocsd.com for information.

 FEATURE ARTICLES in this edition include:

Preconstruction in Today’s Collaborative Environment
by Paul Kinsley, McCarthy Vice President, Estimating

Today, a new era of collaboration among owners, designers and builders is creating higher quality structures within budget and schedule constraints. Learn about how new advancements in technology have evolved preconstruction planning and are making a real impact on today’s projects.

Safety First: Are you overlooking the most important part of the builder selection process?
by Gary Amsinger, McCarthy Vice President, Safety

When you begin looking for a construction company for your next project, there’s a crucial qualification that can be overlooked: the company’s safety record. Here’s how it affects nearly every other aspect of a construction job and why you can’t afford to take safety for granted.

Does Your Facility Have a Boiler? Then the EPA’s New Industrial Boiler MACT Rule May Impact You
by Ryan G. Miner, Director of Business Development, MC Industrial and Don Wolf, PE, Principal, Burns & McDonnell

Owners of institutional or industrial boilers will soon be required to comply with new, stricter U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air emissions requirements. To determine if these requirements apply to your facility and what steps you need to take to ensure compliance, read on.

See the Summer 2011 Edition  now.

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast, Texas and MC Industrial.

Builder’s Innovative Approach Garners National Recognition from Associated General Contractors of America

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. one of the nation’s oldest and largest privately-held construction companies and a 100 percent employee-owned business, was honored last week with a 2011 Education Excellence Award from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Presented during the AGC Training, Education & Development Conference in Kansas City, the Education Excellence Awards recognize the most innovative and collaborative training and development programs in the construction industry. McCarthy was honored in the category of Supervisor-Executive Management for the firm’s Foundations of Leadership Training Program. This AGC award comes on the heels of McCarthy’s placement on the prestigious 2011 Training Magazine Top 125 list and recognition by Corporate University Xchange for training excellence and innovation earlier this year.

“The key to building great projects is building great professionals,” said AGC President Kristine Young. “McCarthy’s leadership training program is an example of how to turn tremendous talent into outstanding professionals.”

Founded as a family-owned business almost 150 years ago, McCarthy is one of the largest 100% employee-owned companies with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan in America today. The firm has long fostered a culture dedicated to continuous improvement, and “Learning” represents one of McCarthy’s six company Core Values. 
 
“McCarthy transitioned from family to employee ownership in 2002,” explained McCarthy Chairman and CEO Mike Bolen. “This significant shift, together with a combination of company growth and retirements of a number of long-time leaders, resulted in our need to more aggressively prepare our high-potential employees for growth. The opportunities at McCarthy are vast and varied, and training these future leaders is an exciting part of our continuing success.”

The McCarthy Foundations of Leadership Program was designed to accelerate the advancement of high performers by challenging them early in their career to take charge of their own development through an orchestrated “peek behind the curtain” at the unique issues faced by the leaders of a multi-billion dollar general contractor. This fast-track approach was also designed to challenge these employees, keep them fully engaged in the company and heighten the overall level of professionalism in the industry.

“Our senior leadership is 100% behind the development of future leaders at McCarthy and actively participate in our Foundations program as instructors,” noted McCarthy Vice President of Human Resources Al Berardi. “We have invested an incredible amount of time to create an active learning experience that is both challenging and meaningful. To be honored by our national association for our efforts is especially meaningful.”

About the Associated General Contractors of America
The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) is the leading association for the construction industry. Operating in partnership with its nationwide network of Chapters, the AGC provides a full range of services satisfying the needs and concerns of its members, thereby improving the quality of construction and protecting the public interest. The AGC represents more than 33,000 leading firms in the industry,  including general contractors, specialty contractors, and service providers and suppliers.

About McCarthy
McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest domestic general contractors. While a formal McCarthy Training Program had been in place for decades, McCarthy formally launched an entirely revamped training program in 2008 under McCarthy Build U. Unusual in the construction industry and among best-in-class training programs outside of the construction industry, the McCarthy Build U framework provides the company with the structure, alignment, centralization and flexibility needed to personalize training to meet both individual and business needs. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.

“We’re honored that this project has been recognized as the Public Works Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association Arizona Chapter,” said Shawn Ingram, McCarthy project director. “Working together with Malcolm Pirnie and the city of Phoenix, we created a one-team approach that allowed us not only to eliminate waste in project operations, but also develop a dynamic solution. The fact that it is now being considered for the national award is a testament to this true collaboration.”

The UP05B expansion project was initiated in 2005 as a five-city Sub-Regional Operating Group (SROG) agreement led by the city of Phoenix. It is an “end of line” facility for influent wastewater processing serving Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Scottsdale and Mesa. The new facility, which increases the capacity for processing influent wastewater, used the Construction Management at Risk delivery method for the $106 million project and was completed under budget and earlier than expected.

Major aspects of the facility expansion included construction of grit influent and effluent channels, additional bar screen and grit cyclone and washers, a state-of-the-art odor control facility, construction of two primary and two secondary sediment basins and along with process air blowers for two new aeration basins. The facility also received an expanded polymer building and chemical distribution enhancements.

“The level of coordination and communication by McCarthy on UP05B allowed for a large amount of work to be completed with minimal impact upon operations of the facility,” said Rick Shane, construction project manager for the city of Phoenix. “The advanced planning also afforded plant staff to continue with scheduled maintenance activities, as well as save money for our residents, a vital concern in these tough economic times.”

Construction of the project involved more than 500,000 man hours of labor over 2.5 years, peaking with 230 craft personnel on site per day. McCarthy performed 258,000 man hours without a single recordable incident and the overall project’s recordable rate for the entire workforce was below .80.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies and has a diverse roster of heavy/civil projects across the country. The Water Services team offers general contracting, construction management, program management and design-build services for wastewater and water treatment projects. The team also covers construction projects in the mining, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels industries. In addition to McCarthy’s office in Tempe, Ariz. McCarthy also has offices in Albuquerque; Las Vegas; Newport Beach, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Dallas; Houston; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee-owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

As Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMAR), McCarthy will work with SJRA to manage both preconstruction and construction services for the project.

“We are looking forward to working with the SJRA to construct this important project in the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way,” said McCarthy Texas Regional President Mike McWay. “McCarthy is well prepared to tackle challenges such as working around the Lake Conroe Dam and minimizing impacts to the neighboring community.”

The water treatment plant will have an initial treated water capacity of 30 MGD with design considerations for expansion in the future and is scheduled to complete by the end of 2015.

The project is financed through a combination of loans from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and proceeds from tax exempt bond issues. Design of the project is currently in progress and construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2012.

About McCarthy
Celebrating 30 years of building in Texas, McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial contractors and a leading water treatment facility builder. An employee-owned company, McCarthy offers general contracting, construction management and design/build services for the following project types: water/wastewater treatment, parking structures, healthcare, educational, office buildings, bridges and highways, laboratory, biotechnology, entertainment, retail, microelectronic, and industrial facilities.  In addition to Houston, McCarthy has offices in Dallas, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego and Newport Beach, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; St. Louis and Atlanta.  For more information please visit www.mccarthy.com.

“We’re honored to have two of our projects named as Project of the Year by the AZ Water Association,” said Robert Knochenhauer, vice president and business unit leader of McCarthy’s Water Services team. “Working together with Malcolm Pirnie and the city of Phoenix on the UP05B project, we created a one-team approach that allowed us not only to eliminate waste in project operations but also develop dynamic solutions that are customized to this project. With the Deer Valley reconstruction project, working with Wilson Engineers and the city of Phoenix we successfully advanced and streamlined the facility’s treatment process, both on-time and on-budget.”

The UP05B expansion project was initiated in 2005 as a five-city Sub-Regional Operating Group (SROG) agreement led by the city of Phoenix. It is an “end of line” facility for influent wastewater processing serving Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, Scottsdale and Mesa. The new facility, which increases the capacity for processing influent water and returning the water, used the Construction Management at Risk delivery method for the $106 million project and was completed under budget and earlier than expected.

Major aspects of the facility expansion included construction of grit influent and effluent channels, additional bar screen and grit cyclone and washers, a state-of-the-art odor control facility, construction of two primary and two secondary sediment basins and the construction of aeration basins and a process blower for odor control. The facility also received chlorinator and ejector for Norcardia control, ferric chloride storage and piping.

“The level of coordination by McCarthy on UP05B allowed for a large amount of work to be completed with minimal impact upon operations of the facility,” said Rick Shane, city of Phoenix construction project manager. “The advanced planning also afforded plant staff to continue with scheduled maintenance activities, as well as save money for our residents, a vital concern in these tough economic times.”

The Deer Valley Water Treatment Plant – East Basin Reconstruction Project (DVWTP), expanded the facility’s treatment capacity from 75 million gallons per day (MGD) to 100 MGD and included installation of advanced treatment processes, equipment and basins, as well as sand ballasted flocculation and GAC filter absorbers. The team held steadfast to the schedule and budget, completing the project on time and within budget.

“McCarthy was instrumental in the seamless reconstruction of this facility,” said Troy Hayes, water quality administrator for the city of Phoenix. “This team was a true testament to what a cohesive partnership is capable of. I attribute the overall success of the project to focus and streamlined process they implemented.”

About McCarthy Building Companies
McCarthy is the one of the nation’s leading builders and has a diverse roster of heavy/civil projects across the country. The Southwest Water Services team offers general contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for wastewater and water treatment projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and Texas. The team also covers construction projects in the mining, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels industries. The McCarthy Southwest Division is based in Tempe, Ariz. McCarthy also has offices in Newport Beach, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Las Vegas; Dallas; Houston; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee-owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.McCarthy.com.

The $3.7 million comprehensive water project will include the water and wastewater master plan and associated facilities to specifically serve the Upper Fruitland Casino and accompanying hotel and restaurant. McCarthy NM plans to install 4,000 long fill (LF) of water and wastewater pipe, a pump station with a storage tank for the casino’s potable water supply, a wastewater treatment plant, and facilities to house the control room and electrical and pumping equipment necessary for the project. 

“The Upper Fruitland Casino is a very significant project as it represents a fairly new direction in gaming for the Navajo Nation,” said Rich Distler, McCarthy NM project director in the Water Services Group. “We are looking forward to collaborating with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and engineer team to fulfill the unique water needs of the casino and needs of the community at large.”

The Upper Fruitland Casino will be a major gaming facility in the Upper Fruitland Chapter of the Navajo Nation and is expected to bring more than 400 jobs to the community. The 750-machine casino is slated to be completed in December 2011.

“Gaming facilities have become a fairly high priority for the Navajo Nation,” said Reevis Bagay, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority representative. “The Upper Fruitland Casino will have great economic impact within the Navajo Nation and surrounding community.  We’re pleased to be working with such a trusted name in the commercial building industry who understands the multi-utility needs of the Nation.”

McCarthy NM and Waterworks Engineers were selected as the design-build team for the project. 

About McCarthy NM
Founded in 1864, McCarthy Building Companies Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies and has a diverse roster of heavy/civil projects across the country. The firm operates as McCarthy NM in New Mexico and has been building in the state for 30 years. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available at www.mccarthy.com.

Over the next two years, all McCarthy LEED AP’s will complete the required 30 hours of training through the McCarthy Green Curriculum to maintain the new credential. Existing green training programs typically focus on design issues. The McCarthy Green Curriculum is unique, presented from the builder’s perspective. This curriculum focuses on what McCarthy and the building team can do during design, construction and operations to have a positive impact on the sustainability of the project.

In addition to employee training, McCarthy’s commitment to sustainability requires continual review of day-to-day operations affecting the environment to look for different ways to do the same or more, while reducing the environmental impact. McCarthy has also implemented the following:

Policies—McCarthy has established office, field, wellness and transportation policies to track and reduce the firm’s impact on the environment. These include use of recycled materials and improving fleet efficiency every year.

Carbon Footprint—McCarthy has adopted a carbon footprint methodology, established a company baseline and is working towards a 5% reduction over the next five years.

Leadership—In addition to sustainable leadership at the national level, each McCarthy project has an identified sustainability leader and champion.

“Green building techniques and materials are being incorporated into every one of our projects today, and clients and partners need a builder they can count on,” explained McCarthy Vice President, Quality and Sustainability Chad Dorgan. “The GBCI program provides a consistent framework for our industry and at the same time provides owners with a green standard they can trust. By upgrading all of our employees, we are providing this same level of consistency for all clients nationwide.”

About McCarthy
McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest privately held commercial construction companies. More than a decade ago, McCarthy formalized a national in-house green knowledge network to capture and build upon the best green practices across the country. Today, the McCarthy Green Team is comprised of approximately 400 USGBC LEED Accredited Professionals (ranking the company in the top 10 for LEED AP’s by Building Design and Construction and among the nation’s Top 20 Green Construction Companies in America by Engineering News-Record). The firm’s resumé of sustainable projects is valued at over $6 billion. Nationally recognized on the Training 125 list for the firm’s outstanding employee training and development programs, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information is available online at www.mccarthy.com/about/green.

Phase one of the project established the first 250 acres of the George W. Shannon Wetlands Water Reuse Project to assist in the treatment of river water that could be returned to the reservoir near Corsicana, Texas. The water reuse project diverts flows from the Trinity River and channels water through constructed wetland cells. Serving as natural filters, these wetland cells remove excess nutrients, sediment and other contaminants.

“We are excited about working with McCarthy on this project,” said Mike Meza, TRWD’s Eastern Division director. “Our customer base is expected to increase to 4.3 million by 2060, so this facility will play a crucial role in our long-range water supply efforts.”

McCarthy will construct 15 wetland cells, install a raw water pipeline and three sedimentation basins and complete upgrades to pump and lift stations. The firm said this project is one of the first horizontal construction projects in Texas to use the Construction Management-at-Risk (CM-at-risk) delivery method.

“The CM-at-Risk delivery was selected due to the high risk of potential flood events that could impact the project schedule,” said Kyle Masters, McCarthy business development manager. “We worked collaboratively with TRWD to develop contingency plans and risk-sharing strategies that would mitigate the impact of these potential flood events and ultimately reduce the project cost.”

McCarthy began work on-site in early 2011, and the project is scheduled for completion in 2013. The engineer on the project is Alan Plummer Associates, Inc. of Dallas.

With more than $200 million currently under contract, McCarthy’s Texas Division continues to advance its reputation as leader in water and wastewater construction in the state. In addition to the TRWD project, the division is also completing ozone facilities for water treatment plants in Fort Worth and Wylie, Texas.

About McCarthy
McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest construction companies.  An employee-owned company, McCarthy offers general contracting, construction management and design-build services for the following project types: water, healthcare, educational, office buildings, parking structures, bridges and highways, laboratory, biotechnology, entertainment, retail, microelectronic, and industrial facilities, tenant interiors and mixed-use.  In addition to Dallas, McCarthy has offices in Houston; Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego and Newport Beach, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; St. Louis and Atlanta.  For more information please visit www.mccarthy.com.

The CorpU Awards salute corporate and government learning organizations that create exciting, impactful programs resulting in measurable improvements in employee and business performance. Since 1999, the Awards, given by CorpU, the leading provider of corporate education research, benchmarking and advisory services for the enterprise learning marketplace, have set the standard for corporate learning.

“The winning programs show how important learning excellence is in enabling companies to execute their business strategy,” said Peter McAteer, CEO of CorpU. “We congratulate them.”

“Operating in today’s business world is more complicated than ever,” commented McCarthy Chairman and CEO Mike Bolen. “Through McCarthy Build U^® we are able to provide our employee-owners with a comprehensive training and development program designed to result in both short- and long-term success. To be included among this year’s CorpU Xchange award winners is truly an honor.”

Founded as a family owned business almost 150 years ago, McCarthy is one of the largest 100% employee-owned companies in America today. The firm has long fostered a culture dedicated to continuous improvement, and “Learning” represents one of McCarthy’s six company Core Values.

While a formal McCarthy Training Program had been in place for decades, McCarthy formally launched an entirely revamped training program in 2008 under McCarthy Build U. Unusual in the construction industry and among best-in-class training programs outside of the construction industry, the McCarthy Build U framework provides the company with the structure, alignment, centralization and flexibility needed to personalize training to meet both individual and business needs.

About Corporate University Xchange
Corporate University Xchange is a private membership of senior learning and talent executives. Founded in 1997, members have access to cutting-edge research, practitioner-tested tools, and expertly facilitated peer-to-peer networking.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest domestic general contractors. Committed to the construction of high performance buildings, the company provides general contracting, construction management, and design-build services for healthcare, educational, commercial, parking structures, science and technology facilities; office buildings; tenant interiors; mixed-use; bridges; and highways. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information is available online at www.mccarthy.com.