• Project will protect Lake Mead and enhance area's watershed management
LAS VEGAS, NV, June 25, 2007 -- The Clean Water Coalition (CWC) has extended Black & Veatch's role as lead design engineer for the Systems Conveyance and Operations Program (SCOP) in the Las Vegas valley for another two years.
The new facilities will convey effluent from CWC member agencies' wastewater treatment plants to a new discharge location in Lake Mead. Increased effluent flows and decreased lake levels, among other changes, necessitated the new discharge location.
Return of the Las Vegas valley's highly treated wastewater to the Colorado River basin -- an important element of the area's comprehensive water resources plan -- has been closely coordinated with other water supply planning efforts in the region. Returning valuable treated wastewater to the Colorado River water system through SCOP allows the Southern Nevada Water Authority to withdraw additional raw water from Lake Mead to increase the valley's water supply.
According to CWC General Manager Douglas Karafa, Black & Veatch initially worked with the CWC to help develop and define SCOP, so the project team began with a special understanding of stakeholder interests and implementation complexities.
"Extending Black & Veatch's role as lead design engineer brings us a step closer to completing a project that will enhance the quality of a lake that supplies water and recreation benefits for people in the southwestern region of the United States," Karafa said.
The new contract extends Black & Veatch's responsibilities beyond the 30 percent design of the entire SCOP to include administration and support of the final design phase. Seven independent engineering companies preparing nine design packages, consisting of pipelines, tunnels, control structures, hydroelectric facilities and a submerged outfall, will be in place by early fall 2007. Associated construction packages will start bidding by mid-2008, with all construction scheduled for completion by late 2011.
"Black & Veatch is working with leading agencies on multiple projects that will yield water resources benefits and watershed protection in the arid western United States," said Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of Black & Veatch's global water business. "Our continued involvement in SCOP and our work with the seven states encompassing the Colorado River basin in the development of a long-term augmentation plan are two important ways in which we're providing technology and project management expertise to help our clients meet crucial needs in an environmentally sustainable manner."
The Clean Water Coalition (CWC) consists of the four agencies responsible for wastewater treatment in the Las Vegas valley. The CWC member agencies are the Clark County Water Reclamation District, the city of Las Vegas, the city of North Las Vegas and the city of Henderson. All use the most advanced technology available for wastewater treatment, and each facility produces a finished product (effluent) that is among the highest quality in the wastewater industry.
Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets.
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