Long Beach, CA--Dec. 6, 2001--Earth Tech will provide engineering design services to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District and the Gary Indiana Sanitary District for evaluation and design improvements at the Gary Wastewater Treatment Plant. The contract is valued at more than $24 million. Design and construction work will begin in December and last through 2004.
Improvements Earth Tech will address at the facility include design of a new headworks facility and flow equalization basin. Currently the facility's sanitary sewers experience some overflow into local waterways during heavy rains. The equalization basin will store excess storm flow until the plant can treat the wastewater, which will reduce sewer backups and overflows. The improvements will allow for better flow control into the plant.
"Most of Gary's facilities are more than 25 years old," said Diane C. Creel, president and chief executive officer of Earth Tech. "In fact, some of the facility's treatment equipment and sewers are part of the original 1930s construction. Earth Tech's design will provide critical, cost-effective improvements for the residents of Gary and the outlying communities served by the Gary Sanitary District."
Headworks are located on the front end of the treatment plant and consist of pumping units, screens and grit-removal equipment that keep large material such as sticks, cans and rags from entering the remaining treatment units. The existing headworks facilities include original 1930s equipment.
The Gary Wastewater Treatment plant is capable of handling more than 60 million gallons of wastewater a day and serves more than 182,000 residents in the district.
Founded in 1970, Earth Tech (www.earthtech.com) is an international provider of global water management and transportation, engineering and environmental services. Earth Tech is headquartered in Long Beach, CA and employs more than 8,000 people in 160 offices worldwide.
