To eliminate sewer overflows into Lake Erie, increase treatment capacity and improve the quality of the treated water at this aging water pollution control center (WPCC), upgrades included a 15-million-gallon storage basin, new headworks, relief sewer and a new membrane bioreactor process within the existing tankage.

This $156-million, four-phase process installation within a landlocked, fully operating wastewater treatment plant is the largest project of its kind to be delivered under a CMAR contract in the state of Ohio. Early contractor involvement maximized the design and preconstruction phases, allowing for design adjustments, preselection of process equipment manufacturers and preliminary subcontractor involvement.

Maintaining plant operations was one of the most significant challenges. After several months, the team developed a flow plan throughout the four phases of construction that included temporary bulkheads, new slide gates and bypass pumping to maintain the treatment process. Several of the phase changes required round-the-clock operations and time restrictions to perform the work.

As the city of Euclid’s largest project to date, its cost was critical. The project team completed the entire project within 2% of the original, compiled GMP budgets.

After eight years of construction, the plant became fully operational in June 2022. Expanded plant capacity is 66 million gallons for 20 hours at maximum flow, with a daily average of 22 million gallons. The Euclid WPCC is now the largest hollow fiber membrane treatment plant in North America and the second largest in the world.