Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility Plan and Improvements Design

The City launched the Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Facility Plan and Improvements Design project to address aging infrastructure, increasing regulatory demands, and the need for strategic capacity planning. As the largest treatment facility in the City’s combined sewer system, the 105-MGD Blue River WWTP is a critical asset, treating flows from the City’s largest watershed and receiving biosolids from five other treatment facilities. Faced with a Consent Decree deadline, future nutrient limits, and the potential consolidation of other plants, such as the Birmingham WWTP, the City selected Carollo to develop a comprehensive facility plan and lead design and construction phase services for the urgent upgrades.

Carollo’s facility plan will provide a detailed, prioritized roadmap to meet regulatory and operational challenges. This includes 144 MGD of treatment equivalent to primary treatment to satisfy Consent Decree requirements by 2030; strategies to meet a 1.0 mg/L phosphorus limit by 2029 per the Missouri Department of Natural Resources; and planning for anticipated nitrogen limits by 2035. The plan also considers integrating 24-MGD average and 63-MGD peak wet weather flows from the City’s Birmingham WWTP, maximizing infrastructure value through dual-use strategies. Future nutrient removal treatment alternatives under evaluation include intensified biological nutrient removal, membrane bioreactors, and aerobic granular sludge. And to support all of these proposed liquid processes, additional biosolids facilities will also be evaluated for implementation.

In tandem with long-range planning, Carollo is also addressing immediate needs. A comprehensive plant-wide condition assessment has been completed, with the first implementation effort focused on grit system upgrades with the design and construction of a new grit and fine screenings removal facility through the progressive design-build process. A new Power Pen (electrical substation) is also being delivered through fixed-price design-build to support the new facilities being added to the WWTP Primary Site. A new power pen will also be evaluated for the WWTP’s Secondary Site to support future development of supplemental liquid treatment facilities.

Carollo developed a detailed work plan and Gantt chart schedule at the outset of the project to streamline the planning and design processes. Despite numerous scope additions (including support in applying for SRF funding for the associated construction projects) by the client throughout the project execution process, Carollo has maintained to keep the project on schedule, and within the client’s available budget. The project remains under budget due to disciplined project management and ongoing cost tracking. When complete, the improvements will enhance system capacity, provide regulatory compliance, and support potential facility consolidation—all while protecting the environment and improving service to the community.