Water & Waste Water

Crowder specializes in building state of the art municipal and industrial water systems and wastewater treatment plants. We built our first wastewater treatment plant in 1957 at Pilot Mountain, North Carolina.

Today, Crowder’s Civil and Environmental Division specializes in our water and wastewater facilities ensuring that all projects are compliant with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Our projects address a wide range of municipal efforts to promote efficient and responsible use, treatment, and preservation of our public water supply.

Crowder is committed to the preservation of the environment and public health. Because excellent public health hinges on a reliable supply of clean water, our projects contribute to the sustainable development of industrial and municipal water services, working to enhance and protect the natural water environment. Our water treatment facilities remove contaminants from drinking water ensuring that communities have a supply of water that exceeds federal guidelines. Crowder's uncompromising commitment to safety ensures that these projects are safe not only for our employees during construction but for the communities they serve in the decades that follow.

Today, our country's aging infrastructure faces several challenges that Crowder is ready to face head on.

Tighter environmental regulations from the EPA protect the quality of the nation's water supply but have contributed to higher costs across the industry, as older systems are replaced and updated with greener infrastructure.
The need for investment in new buried water infrastructure nationwide over the next 25 years is estimated at over $1 trillion with much of this investment needed in the southern states.
Building and maintaining our nation's water and wastewater treatment facilities is a concrete intensive endeavor which often adds to overall project costs.
Putting off investment in the infrastructure today will only make tomorrow's problems worse as water main breaks and infrastructure failures increase in the interim.

From design and engineering to contractor services, Crowder's long history in the construction of water and wastewater treatment facilities works to the advantage of our clients. Crowder's mechanical and electrical expertise in these projects reigns in cost while delivering excellent value. Our regional presence with offices employing over 900 individuals in several states cuts transportation costs and allows us to self-perform concrete work which enables us to deliver projects on time and under budget.

Water & Waste Water Projects

Cherry Point Biological Nutrient Removal System Repairs

Civil & Environmental

Client Type: Public Entity
Cherry Point, NC - $14 Million

Crowder was the prime contractor for this project at the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, NC. Crowder self-performed 89% of the work on this project, including the primary and secondary electrical services, 2500KVA transformer, exterior lighting, air conditioning, structural steel, water, sanitary sewer, sewer lift station, fuel tank storage, demolition of existing structures, relocation of existing utilities, site clearing, earthwork, concrete pavement, sanitary sewer pumping station and water distribution. A Final Performance Evaluation completed by the Owner resulted in an “Outstanding” rating. Crowder was awarded the 2009 ABC Excellence in Construction Award for this project.
HC Lenoir Raw Water Pump Station

Heavy Civil

Client Type: Public Entity
Granite Falls, North Carolina - $4.8 Million

At the George L. Bernhardt, Sr. WTP, Crowder constructed a raw water intake and pumping station which required excavation to be performed at a depth of 44 feet. The wet well was constructed using a circular steel sheet pile cofferdam. Rock within the excavation limits necessitated pre-drilling activities; and both drilled casing and controlled blasting techniques were utilized to advance the piling to the required elevation. Sheet piling along the intake pipe corridor from the wet well extended out into Lake Rhodhiss for a distance of 340 LF to depths of approximately 40 feet allowing excavation and installation of twin 36” PCCP intake pipes, air bursting pipe and passive intake screens, some of which were founded on driven H-pile and cap assemblies. The intake screens and supports were installed using underwater welding of the steel caps to the steel h-pile. Both 36” PCCP intake pipes were installed using divers while being supported by crane and barge access. All dive work was at depths of 30’ below the water’s surface.

The station included twin vertical turbine pumps with air bursting equipment as well as dry chemical feed equipment, grit removal and traveling bridge crane all housed in a masonry shell structure. The project also included raw water piping from the new pumping station to the head of the plant.
James A. Loughlin (Northside) WWTP Upgrade and Expansion

Civil & Environmental

Client Type: Public Entity
Wilmington, NC - $69 Million

In 2005, Crowder was awarded a contract to expand and upgrade the City of Wilmington’s existing 8 million gallon per day (MGD) Wastewater Treatment Plant to a 16 MGD plant. Maintaining the plant’s operability at all times throughout the construction project was of primary importance to the City. Communication, coordination and planned sequencing were key components to the success of the project. Crowder completed work on sludge dewatering/drying beds, sludge thickening, aeration tanks, blower/generator buildings, trickling filters and pump stations. In addition, Crowder built a new effluent pump station, completed modifications to existing blowers and added chlorination facilities. Crowder’s electrical contract included an entire power scheme for the plant, from the transformers to the substations. Electrical service was provided for the new facility, and new service was established for the existing plant. Crowder self-performed the concrete, equipment setting, piping and all electrical work on this project, which was completed on time and $6 million below budget. The Carolinas Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (CAGC) named this project the “Best Utility Project” of 2009 and awarded the 2009 Pinnacle Award to Crowder.
McAlpine Creek Design-Build Effluent Filter Upgrade and Expansion

Civil & Environmental

Client Type: Public Entity
Pineville, NC - $25 Million

This project was a result of the need to expand effluent filter capacity at a site with significant existing infrastructure and unknown subsurface conditions. Power lines further complicated the already tight site conditions and continuous operations of the wastewater facility were critical to the owner. Conditions and circumstances created a demand for an alternative procurement process to provide best value to the local community, to minimize risk to cost and schedule, and to deliver a project that would allow for analysis of best materials, means and methods for the needed improvements.

The scope of work for the project included:

9 new filter bays attached to & hydraulically identical to existing

40’ deep excavation with engineered slopes.

Install new filter bottoms, troughs & media.

Set new filter control consoles.

Install new pumped backwash system.

Tie-in new filters & rehab existing filters.

New aluminum enclosures over walkway.

Set chemical pumps & run piping.

Install slope protection, site improvements & demolition.

Set pre-fabricated Power Zone house.

Pull cables to new filter consoles & field components.

Cast-in-Place concrete basins.

Install large diameter (48” & 60”) DIP.

Open communication between the owner, engineer, and contractor resulted in cost savings, plant efficiencies, and superior performance at the finished facility. Close coordination with regulatory agencies ensured prompt reviews and a clear understanding by all parties of the path forward.
Northeast Water Reclamation Facility Expansion

Civil & Environmental

Client Type: Public Entity
Rex, GA - $55.6 Million

Crowder was awarded this to expand and upgrade a fully-functioning water reclamation facility. This plant, which serves the emergent northeast portion of Clayton County, was near capacity, and the upgrade expanded the facility’s wastewater treatment capability from 6 MGD to 10 MGD. Crowder built or upgraded more than 25 facilities on this project, including a new influent pump station, preliminary treatment facility, primary sedimentation tanks and electrical equipment buildings. The new and improved plant features treatment processes that will improve the quality of wastewater leaving the plant. The project was completed under budget and six months ahead of schedule. Crowder self-performed more than 90% of all work on this project.