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CHAPTER 3

DESIGN AND

CONSTRUCTION

R. Gary Fuller
HDR Engineering, Inc.
Denver, Colorado

This chapter provides general guidelines for managing the design and construction phases
of a water treatment project. These projects involve addition of either entirely new facil-
ities or the upgrade/expansion of existing facilities. The principal design and construction
phases for both types of projects can typically be separated into preliminary design, final
design, construction assistance, and facilities start-up. Traditionally, these phases of de-
sign and construction have been conducted sequentially, with a single entity conducting
all phases. Growing interest in "design-build" projects has placed an emphasis on initiat-
ing construction prior to final design, accelerating the project schedule by combining the
design and construction teams into one entity. Regardless of which approach is used, many
of the design and construction issues remain the same.

PRELIMINARY DESIGN

Completion of the master planning and process selection phases establish the design con-
cepts for the water treatment improvement project, forming the basis for preliminary de-
sign. The preliminary design phase must address a variety of design issues, concluding
with concise recommendations for the principal components of the water treatment plant
facilities. During preliminary design, the primary treatment processes and waste handling
systems design parameters will be established to allow the design team to initiate devel-
opment of the design concepts for all the other disciplines. Close coordination with the
design team members, owner, and regulatory agencies is essential during this phase of the
project.

Regulatory Agency Coordination
Regulatory agencies having approval authority over construction of a water treatment plant
project may include local building departments, zoning commissions, and environmental

3.1