AUSTIN, TX — AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm, announces its selection by the City of Austin as the prime consultant for the expansion of the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Austin, Texas. The project aims to improve the aging structure’s operational and environmental features by increasing the plant’s capacity from 75 million gallons per day (MGD) to 100 MGD. As the population of Austin grows, the upgrades will bolster the resiliency of the community’s wastewater infrastructure while safeguarding its surrounding ecosystem.
“As our industry’s leading water consulting firm, we look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with the City of Austin to ensure the Walnut Creek Expansion delivers state-of-the-art treatment capabilities to the local community,” said Beverley Stinson, Chief Executive of AECOM’s global Water business. “Our teams have established themselves as pioneers in the global push to advance highly efficient and cost effective nutrient removal, and will leverage this extensive expertise to enhance the plant and improve the effluent water quality to protect the environment, while meeting existing and future community demands.”
The AECOM team’s scope of work for the project includes process, mechanical, civil, electrical, and structural engineering services to modernize and upgrade the existing infrastructure, while incorporating advanced operational and environmental features. The expansion will involve replacing aging equipment, constructing a new 25 MGD treatment train, and building a new 120-inch outfall line and structure. The project will also provide wet weather treatment with new 100 MGD cloth filters and build a flood wall to protect against 100-year floods in accordance with the National Weather Service’s historic Atlas 14 flood risk study.
“AECOM has a long-standing partnership with the City of Austin, having designed substantial portions of the city’s major water and wastewater treatment plants,” said Matt Crane, Chief Executive of AECOM’s U.S. West region. “Our expertise in complex treatment design will support an exceptionally resilient, sustainable facility, aligning with our Sustainable Legacies strategy to make a lasting positive impact through every project we undertake.”
Originally built in 1977 with an 18 million gallon per day capacity, the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant has since been expanded three times in 1987, 1990, and 2005 to reach its current capacity of 75 million gallons per day. The facility is expected to remain operational throughout the work.
