Despite encountering remnants of previous underground activities in Pittsburgh’s oldest and densest neighborhood, the team built an underground piping distribution system across numerous streets with steep elevation changes. Approximately 1 mile of 42-in. supply and return lines were installed from the plant to various buildings. The resulting 42,000-sq-ft central utility building (CUB) and the underground distribution system, which moved the chilled water to the buildings being served by the new plant, prevent the campus from relying on one utility plant. Existing infrastructure was operating at capacity and additional capacity was needed to support growth.

Photo by Halkin Mason

The CUB has three chillers with a combined 7,500-ton capacity, which could be doubled for future needs. A 5-kV electrical substation was built to provide additional power to the upper campus. The plant also includes a 250,000-gallon cistern that captures and reuses gray water to reduce the use of fresh water. The $98-million project was finished in 23 months, under budget and ahead of schedule.