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3.6 CHAPTER THREE

• Finalization of major plant piping and structures, including pipe size and routing, treat-
ment structure sizes and elevations, and support facilities size and functions
• Development of process and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) for all treatment sys-
tems, including process units, piping, valving, instruments, and their interrelationships
Project Coordination. It is important to maintain close communications with the client
and regulatory agencies through all phases of design. Regular meetings should be held
with clients to solicit their input and apprise them of project status. Members of the proj-
ect operations staff should be involved in the meetings, when possible, to provide input
on design decisions and to become familiar with the new plant facilities. During design,
all disciplines should be kept informed of design decisions by any discipline that could
affect the design. Regular design team meetings should be conducted to exchange infor-
mation and coordinate conflicts between disciplines.
Schedules of project work tasks and project milestones should be prepared for all stages
of design, with the schedule updated as changes are necessary. Reviews of the schedule
should be conducted periodically to confirm that work tasks and milestones are on sched-
ule. As part of schedule development, project budgets can be prepared based on the iden-
tified work tasks and schedule. Input from each design discipline should be obtained dur-
ing budgeting to establish the needed work tasks, schedule, and budgets for each design
phase. Previous project budgetary information can be a particularly valuable source of in-
formation for developing budgets for a new project. AWWA Manual M47, Construction
Contract Administration, provides information on the requirements for maintaining com-
munications between all parties involved in the construction project.
Design Standards. It is critical that the plant facilities' design conform to both legally
required and generally accepted design standards, including

• Treatment design criteria published by state and federal agencies
• Design codes, such as building, electrical, fire, and plumbing codes
• Applicable laws and ordinances, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administra-
tion (OSHA) safety standards and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements
• Design standards developed by local agencies and by the owner
If the proposed design requires any deviations from legally required criteria, the changes
must be discussed with the approving agencies and written variances or exemptions ob-
tained. Any deviance from generally accepted practice should receive careful considera-
tion and should be reviewed with the owner.

Coordination of Design Disciplines
Once final design is under way, it is essential that all design support disciplines be closely
coordinated to avoid design conflicts and to make sure design information from all dis-
ciplines is received in a timely manner.
Civil Process Design. In developing the plant layout for construction of new facilities
or modification of existing facilities, a number of design considerations should be
addressed:
• Matching the plant facilities to the site topography to take advantage of physical fea-
tures and grade changes across the site