Cape Coral Facilities and Utilities Expansion Program
Best Civil Works/Infrastructure
With a fast-growing population, the city of Cape Coral, Fla., recognized the need to upgrade its water and wastewater infrastructure. MWH Constructors of Broomfield, Colo., managed the $873-million design-build/program manager-at-risk Cape Coral Facilities and Utilities Expansion Program, which included more than 70 projects. Work began in October 2001 and wrapped up in November 2010.
“We were fulfilling the city's utility master plan,” says Larry Laws, program manager with MWH. “We were touching every part of the water cycle.”
On two contracts, MWH added 720 miles of water, gravity sewer and irrigation pipelines; 240 miles of roadway; 34 wastewater pump stations; and water, sewer and irrigation collection, distribution and transmission systems. It also doubled the capacity of Cape Coral's two wastewater reclamation plants, designed a third plant, expanded the existing water treatment plant and built a 12-mgd reverse-osmosis water treatment plant.
The team constructed 27 raw-water production wells, three deep-injection wells to store the brine from the reverse-osmosis process and several aquifer storage and recovery test wells for a program that will store water from the canals below ground during the rainy season for use in drier times.
Key Players
Owner: City of Cape Coral, Fla.
Contractor/Construction Manager: MWH Constructors, Broomfield, Colo.
Designer: MWH Global, Tampa, Fla.
Submitted by:
MWH Constructors
