Austin Water Treatment Plant No. 4
The City of Austin required a new water treatment plant and pump station to respond to its rapidly growing population and selected MWH to complete the $379 million project. Plans included the construction of a marine raw water intake, tunnels, a pump station, conveyance systems, and water treatment facilities with an initial 50-mgd capacity. The new treatment plant takes raw water from nearby Lake Travis and connects to a pump station via a 9-ft finished diameter tunnel.
- 2.6 million man hours with only one lost work day injury.
- Completed project on time and $2 million under budget.
- Attained LEED Silver rating.
- Recycled all harvested native vegetation for mulch throughout the site and re-purposed all suitable excavated materials. Over 200 truckloads of excavated rock were utilized on other City projects.
- Recommended more than $75 million in cost reductions, of which $30 million were accepted.
Project Impact
- A local land owner voiced concerns about the building not fitting in within his housing development. To address his concerns, MWH added rock face exterior walls with false windows and balconies into the design and construction. This Spanish/Italian design flair helped the pump station blend more smoothly into the surrounding community.
- MWH awarded more than 200 separate contracts totaling more than $50 million to local minority and women-owned businesses during the life of the project. We also maintained a robust community relations program to keep affected stakeholders informed.