The Aurora Prairie Waters Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility is one of the most significant construction projects and successful construction partnerships of 2011, the Associated General Contractors of America announced during its annual conference in Hawaii in mid-March.

Photo courtesy of Aurora Water

The treatment facility uses both natural and state-of-the art water purification techniques to treat the citys existing water rights from the South Platte River.

As a result, the project’s contractor, Denver-based Western Summit Constructors Inc., was one of eight firms to receive the association’s Alliant Build America Merit Award and one of three teams to receive the association’s Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award.

“These projects demonstrate the qualities that have made the construction industry great: hard work, ingenuity and world-class skill,” said Kristine Young, the association’s 2011 president and the CEO of Des Moines, Iowa-based Miller the Driller. “Contractors like these are not only building exceptional projects, they’re building a better, more prosperous America.”

The new Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility project is the fastest, most cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to meet Aurora’s water needs. The facility uses both natural and state-of-the art water purification techniques to treat the city’s existing water rights from the South Platte River. The facility increased Aurora’s water supply by 20% and delivered 3.3 billion gal. of water per year. The broad-based partnering collaborative completed the facility early and under budget.

The Alliant Build America Merit Awards recognize the nation’s most significant construction projects. A panel of judges, representing all areas of construction, evaluated a record number of submissions this year, assessing each project’s complexity, use of innovative construction techniques and coordination with partners, among other criteria.

The Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award recognizes unique and successful partnerships needed to complete complex construction projects. A panel of judges, representing all areas of construction, evaluated a record number of projects that were completed in 2011, assessing contractors’ ability to resolve conflicts, the quality of communications with all involved parties and the ability to get many groups to achieve one goal, among other key criteria. The awards are considered by many to be the most prestigious recognition of construction accomplishments in the U.S.