Water Treatment Strategy Cited in National Competition

The joint venture of Hazen and Sawyer of New York City, and Camp Dresser & McKee of Cambridge, MA (H&S/CDM), is a finalist in the American Council of Engineering Companies 37th annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition for an ultraviolet disinfection study, to treat water from upstate New York supply sources.

The project is among 162 engineering projects from across the nation being recognized by ACEC as preeminent engineering achievements for 2003. Judging was to take place in early February and be conducted by a distinguished panel of engineers and architects, along with representatives from government, media, and academia. Criteria for awards include uniqueness and originality, technical, social and economic value, complexity, and success of the projects in meeting goals.

Announcement of the 24 category winners, including selection of the "Grand Conceptor Award" for the 2003 top engineering achievement, will occur March 18th at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Two river systems—the Catskill and the Delaware—supply nearly all of the water used by New York City's nine million consumers. To treat such a large volume of water (nearly 90 mgd) and meet regulatory requirements, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection initially planned to build a $2 billion plant that would use conventional filtration technologies. WW/