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The Design Build Institute of America (DBIA), the only organization that defines, teaches and promotes design-build best practices, has announced Crowder’s McAlpine Creek WWMF Design-Build (D-B) Effluent Filters Upgrades and Expansion project has won a 2015 Award of Merit in the Water/Wastewater Category and is a nominee for a National Award of Excellence in that category.

The McAlpine Creek WWMF (McAlpine) is located just outside Charlotte, NC. It is the largest of all Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities Department (CMUD) Wastewater Management Facilities (WWMF) with a daily treatment capacity of 64 Million Gallons Daily (MGD). 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.

Crowder’s expertise allowed the project to be completed below budget without sacrifice to quality. The D-B process allowed the client to manage the scope. Crowder assisted the client with extensive testing of the new system to ensure a comfort level with operations. High quality intention and team oriented partnering established a project that exceeded expectations above what was specified in the contract.

In addition to earning this DBIA award, the McAlpine project has also earned the National AGC of America Alliant Build America Award for Utility Infrastructure Renovation.