Major Upgrade for Manteca

Wastewater Treatment Plant to Be Completed in July

The 20 million-gallons-a-day facility in the Central Valley is expected to be up and running this summer, six to nine months ahead of the original schedule. Upgrades will include a higher level of treatment, nitrification process and new pump station.

By Jennifer Bonnett

A $48 million upgrade to the Manteca wastewater quality-control facility now scheduled for completion in July will produce a higher level of treatment, nitrification process, ultra-violet disinfection system and new filtration systems. A new pump station will also be built at the site, located about 50 mi. south of Sacramento.

"We've nitrified, added tertiary filters and have changed our disinfection from chlorine to UV," said Phil Govea, an engineer with the city. "We're calling this a state-of-the-art facility."

Cities up and down California are facing state-imposed mandates by the Regional Water Quality Control Board to make all wastewater discharged into waterways fishable, swimable and potable. The project in Manteca will be one of the state's most expensive, Govea said.

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The Folsom office of HDR is the construction manager. The Concord office of Kiewit Pacific Co. is the general contractor and the Manteca office of Nolte Associates is the engineer/architect.

The project's design work started in 1993 because of Manteca's booming population, Govea said.

"Since (1993) it's gone through changes based on the needs of Manteca, plus regulatory mandates have changed the design," Govea added.

The existing treatment plant, which can handle 5 million to 7 million gallons per day, will be able to take in up to 20 million gallons.

In November 2003, Anderson Pacific Engineering and Construction of Santa Clara completed schedule A of phase three in the four-phase project. Kiewit is handling schedule, B of phase three, the largest part of the project. The project is separated into four phases, with corresponding schedules (A,B,C,D) adjusted for costs and constructability.

Kiewit's contract is for about $30 million. It includes all the excavation, earthwork, concrete and mechanical work, according to project manager Charlie Gardner. When it's finished. the company will have done 80 percent of the work.

Although it was supposed to be a 26-month job, Gardner said it is now scheduled for completion in July.

"We're months ahead of schedule because of the planning and oversight of all the stakeholders involved," said Warren Shannon, wastewater systems superintendent of Manteca's public works department. "We give HDR a tremendous amount of credit for that."

Gardner added, "Since we do a lot of emphasis on value engineering, it looks like we'll be done some six- to nine-months early."

Gardner said there are 80 to 100 employees on the site daily, and their expertise and the partnership with the city have made their job successful.

"We've been here over a year as construction manager and everybody's contributed with bringing in new, good ideas on how to finish faster and make the plant better," said Jeffrey Inferrera, HDR's Folsom-based construction manager.

To help pay for the comprehensive project, ratepayers' sewer bills may rise substantially to pay for a new city permit needed for the plant upgrade. The proposed rate hike is under appeal, Shannon said.