BOSTON, MA — The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has embarked on a significant undertaking in the upgrade of two of its large wastewater facilities. Ward Street Headworks and Columbus Park Headworks, which treat peak flows of 256 million gallons per day (mgd) and 182 mgd respectively, are located in dense urban areas in the city of Boston and require extensive refurbishment. In addition to technical challenges, implementation of the project must minimize impacts to the daily routines of neighbors, students, and businesses, as well as to existing facility operations.

To help with this project, the MWRA announced the award of a $28.9-million, nine-year contract to the CDM Smith team, including AECOM and Green International Affiliates. The team will provide design, permitting, bidding, and construction phase engineering services for the complete refurbishment of both headworks facilities. These facilities provide wastewater screening and grit removal prior to conveyance of flow to the Deer Island Treatment Plant, a crucial step in the wastewater treatment process that ultimately allows the effluent to be safely released back into the environment.

The team was selected unanimously by the MWRA Selection Committee, and approved by the Board of Directors, for its combined qualifications and technical approach, which carefully considered construction sequencing to maintain continuous facility operations, as well as visual, noise, and site layout impacts to the surrounding community. Technologies like 3D laser scanning, RealWear HMT-1, Taqtile’s Manifest, and Microsoft’s HoloLens will be used throughout the project life cycle to enhance quality control for design accuracy, reduce construction change orders, and enhance operator training during the start-up and commissioning phases and beyond.