Orange County Sanitation District Selects MWH to Rehabilitate Aging Seal Beach Pump Station

$40M project involves restoration of major elements of OCSD’s critical wastewater infrastructure.

Broomfield, Colo., August 12, 2015, MWH Global, an engineering, consulting and construction firm focused on water and natural resources, today announced the award of a contract by the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) to replace an aged and critical element of OCSD’s wastewater infrastructure in Seal Beach, California.

The Seal Beach Pump Station, originally constructed in the 1970s, receives flow from the cities of Seal Beach, Cypress, Rossmoor, and Los Alamitos within the Orange County collection system. The station subsequently transfers all flow (up to 30mgd) to the Sanitation District’s largest treatment facility in Huntington Beach, California – “Surf City USA”. In total, the pump station services about 150,000 residents.

“The Seal Beach Pump Station is currently operating on pumps that are in constant need of maintenance and it does not have adequate backup for system redundancy.  Execution of this project in a timely manner is top priority to OCSD,” commented OCSD Project Manager Adam Nazaroff, P.E.  “This isn’t just for the people that it serves, but for the benefit of the OCSD maintenance staff.  MWH has provided a solid team and I am really excited to go through the design and construction process with them.”

Because of the size and complexity of the pump station, a challenge MWH will have to overcome is its necessity to remain functional throughout construction. The station’s original plan included two pipelines as an insurance policy, though as a result of aging and materials of construction, one has already collapsed. As part of design responsibilities, MWH will complete a new installation to replace the collapsed pipeline as well as repair the pipeline currently in use.

To provide the Sanitation District the best solution, MWH will provide an integrated team with public outreach, planning, investigation, design, permitting, and regulatory experience relevant to this project. In addition to the core work being completed, MWH is working closely with a renowned Los Angeles architect to develop aesthetically pleasing “Spanish Mission-style” buildings that are reflective of local Southern Californian neighborhood atmosphere and consistent with Green Building Code design approaches.

“Our long-term presence in California and in-depth project experience throughout the State will allow MWH to be a partner in this work and we look forward to developing and implementing innovative solutions alongside the project and executive leadership at the Orange County Sanitation District,” said Marshall Davert, president for government and infrastructure in the Americas and Asia Pacific for MWH. “This important project will enable us to assist OCSD in providing sustainable, highly efficient and reliable service to its rate payers for years to come.”

The complete rehabilitation of the pump station is expected to be completed by mid-2017.