The City of St. Augustine recently was awarded the “Project of the Year” by the Florida chapter of the American Public Works Association for the Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 1 Headworks Rehabilitation project. This project successfully addressed critical project drivers, including improved treatment, structural rehabilitation and incorporation of climate resilience measures for long-term asset protection, all while meeting the constraints of a fixed capital improvement plan budget.

Working with CDM Smith (engineer) and Wharton-Smith (construction manager), the City was able to successfully rehabilitate the existing headworks to like-new condition, which represented a savings of more than $4 million versus the installation of a new headworks. This project demonstrates a unique approach to using key research studies and a construction manager at risk partnership to make design and capital decisions that drive more cost-effective, rehabilitation-based methods for addressing aging infrastructure.

“I was so excited to be a part of this project,” said Marcus Pinson, Utility Plant Engineer. “I’m thrilled knowing the environmental impacts that it will ultimately have throughout its life.”

The Headworks is the first step in the wastewater treatment process. It removes trash and inorganic materials such as plastic and grit from entering the facility, which in turn produces a cleaner effluent.