Water Infrastructure: Managing Water & Wastewater Projects

Most buildings have a plumbing system that would be worthless if it couldn’t connect to the elaborate system of pipelines, treatment plants, pump stations and storage structures that make up an area’s water infrastructure. 

Water infrastructure is the systems, structures and equipment that move and treat water. It includes delivering safe drinking water to people and communities, as well as processing and disposing of wastewater. The construction and maintenance of water infrastructure is the primary way most areas access clean water, which is crucial for economic development, food and energy production, and life itself. 

This article explores the construction of water and wastewater infrastructure, including common roles in the field, best practices, and unique aspects of each phase of construction.

The Basics of Water Infrastructure Construction

Water and wastewater infrastructure projects are usually launched to meet an area’s growing demand for water and wastewater treatment or to repair previously existing and outdated infrastructure. Most projects are commissioned by a government agency, either at the federal, state or local level. Some municipalities will partner with a private company, who will manage the project’s construction, operation and maintenance.

Water infrastructure projects are often extremely complicated, for a number of reasons. They often depend on connecting to a water source that is controlled and protected by the state or federal government.

Further, they must integrate into a local municipality’s master plans and be reflected in the municipality’s as-builts. Many water and wastewater pipelines run underneath or alongside roads, so installation or repair work often must be coordinated with the government agency managing roads. Not surprisingly, water infrastructure projects often take years to complete and are extremely expensive. Some municipalities put off these projects for as long as possible, either because they don’t have the money — or have allocated the money elsewhere. This can result in water infrastructure falling into disrepair or becoming dangerously outdated. 

Water infrastructure includes many components that all need to be installed and functioning correctly for the whole of the infrastructure to be effective. These might include:

• Pipes and pipelines
• Pump stations
• Reservoirs
• Water treatment facilities, including equipment to clean the water such as settling tanks, air ration tanks, and chemicals
• Wastewater treatment facilities, including equipment to collect and treat wastewater, such as grit chambers, settling tanks, aeration tanks, reactors and bioreactors, and chemicals and tools for disinfection
• Dams and canals

The Water Infrastructure Construction Process

There are unique elements to each phase of constructing water infrastructure projects. Below we’ll explore what takes place during each of these phases.

Planning

Water infrastructure projects usually begin by determining if an area has a need for more water, more wastewater capacity or that the existing infrastructure is outdated or underperforming. Most of these projects are commissioned by a government agency. However, the process can also be initiated by developers, particularly if they are attempting to construct a new neighborhood, subdivision, or economic center that will have an extensive need for water. 

Additionally, extensive analysis is usually conducted to determine whether a project will be feasible, particularly in regard to the availability of water and funds to complete the project. Analysis usually includes:

• Feasibility studies
• Flood risk assessments
• Geotechnical analysis
• Life cycle assessments
• Diagnostic studies on existing facilities

A municipality will often hire an engineering firm to design the project, a process that can take anywhere from six months to several years. The process usually includes many elements, including receiving approval from numerous stakeholders and coordinating how to connect the new project to the existing infrastructure of the city, county, and state. 

While water infrastructure might have similar elements in many places, planning must account for the variables and obstacles that are unique to the area the project will be located in or be moving through. For example, the process and materials for installing pipelines is different if those pipelines will likely need to withstand an earthquake. Similarly, infrastructure located in flood plains will rely more heavily on water pumps. 

The many components that comprise water infrastructure can make planning a complicated and multifaceted process, as each component has different considerations that need to be made.

Preconstruction

Once the design is complete, the government agency will usually open the project to bids. There are typically only a handful of general contractors (GCs) qualified to execute specialized projects of this magnitude, so agencies will often make an effort to share the project with a national pool of candidates. GCs are bidding to work on a project that is already designed, but the process is dynamic and usually requires them to help update, revise and improve the designs throughout preconstruction and construction.

Wastewater treatment plants are often particularly expensive to build and maintain due largely to their specialized needs for equipment, location and regulatory requirements. Cost estimates often need to consider the following: 

• Capacity requirements: Cities like Raleigh need facilities to handle tens of millions of gallons daily (MGD). New York City has numerous plants processing hundreds of MGD. The EPA has guidelines for communities with less than 10,000 people or daily flow of less than one MGD. 
• Equipment: This might include equalization basins, oil-water separators, primary and secondary clarifiers, ultrafiltration units, reverse osmosis units, gravity filtration systems, and micro screens.
• Sequencing: Upgrading a system can be difficult because sewage must continue to be treated throughout construction. Renovation projects often need to be done on tight timelines, in particular order, or with temporary treatment methods. 
• Regulatory costs: The EPA has specific permits and programs, depending on how wastewater will be disposed of.
• Land use: Municipalities often try to save money by placing plants on former dumping sites. This can present contamination risks and add costs related to cleanup.

Many water infrastructure projects rely on an extraordinary amount of concrete. Treatment facilities are made largely of concrete, as are many underground pipelines, reservoirs and dams. One of the most important parts of preconstruction is making plans to source, procure or manufacture enough concrete. Some large projects will have concrete plants built on the jobsite so that they can have a steady, readily available supply. 

Other GCs will line up deliveries from numerous providers well before the pour date, to ensure they will have enough.

Construction

The pipeline construction process usually happens in three phases: excavation, installation and finishing. Because of the length of most pipelines, the project is often broken into segments so different teams can work at the same time. For example, a team might trench for a dozen miles to remove the soil. Once that’s completed, they might begin on the next segment, while an installation team works on the first twelve miles. 

However, the changing conditions across the many miles a pipeline stretches means many variables pop up, ranging from weather to unexpected changes in the soil. GCs are constantly looking for potential alternatives for methods or materials to keep the project moving forward and avoid delays. 

Post-construction

Completing a water infrastructure project requires extensive inspections and testing to ensure the system is functioning correctly. GCs will routinely conduct inspections throughout the build, but many government contracts require a formal inspection by a third-party organization before the facility can be used. Most states are required to inspect wastewater facilities for compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The EPA provides guidelines for inspecting other components of water infrastructure, such as water storage facilities. 

After construction, water infrastructure facilities will continue to undergo regular inspections and constant monitoring to ensure the system is treating water effectively. Drinking water is regularly checked to ensure it’s safe for consumption by testing for bacteria, microorganisms, chemicals such as chlorine or heavy metals, connectivity and pH levels.

Because water infrastructure has major implications for the entire region it is located in, official as-builts for the town, county and state will need to be updated to reflect the finished project. There are usually many closeout documents, as the owner or manager will need proof of inspections, operation and maintenance manuals and commissioning reports. 

Roles and Responsibilities in Water Infrastructure Construction

Here are a few common characteristics of GCs and engineering firms working in water infrastructure construction. 

Common Challenges in Water Infrastructure Construction

There are a few common challenges when building water infrastructure.

Projects must endure an uncertain future.

Water infrastructure projects are supposed to last for decades with a manageable amount of maintenance required. Some plans aim for plants to last for 50 years, while others go up to 100. Not only does this require accounting for extreme weather and potential disasters, it should also account for the potential of increased demand for water in the future. 

Projects take a long time.

Water infrastructure can take years to be designed, and even longer to build. This is in part due to the scale of the projects but also to the red tape that needs to be cleared to get them done. Technology is often installed years after it was selected, which can create the risk of the technology being behind the latest innovations. Stakeholders strive to build systems with the ability to grow into the future.

Water infrastructure is expensive.

Part of the reason water infrastructure in the US is so outdated is because these projects are extremely expensive and most municipalities have allocated that money elsewhere or they don’t have it. Without a budget for building new facilities and maintaining old ones, water infrastructure can easily become outdated or dangerously ineffective.

Many stakeholders are involved.

Projects require coordination with many different stakeholders. Projects could feasibly be commissioned by a county, pull from a federally controlled body of water, and run through numerous towns. Additionally, each project will usually have an engineering firm and a GC involved.

Some projects have a private company that will manage the water treatment facility once it's completed. Navigating the specific needs and desires of so many stakeholders requires continuous deliberate and transparent communication.

Best Practices in Water and Wastewater Construction

There are a few things that almost always improve a water infrastructure project.

Successful Document Management

The high number of stakeholders means organizing and sharing documents with many people is extremely important. Also, water infrastructure projects require referencing, revising, and updating project documents. Digital document organization systems, like Procore, can help to manage the immense number of drawings, RFIs, submittals and invoices from numerous subcontractors.

Adaptability and Problem-solving

Unexpected delays or issues on such large-scale, complex projects are almost inevitable. GCs should be versed in a number of planning and scheduling techniques, such as CPM or pull planning, to be able to prioritize tasks, identify lag time, and increase efficiency. 

Water Infrastructure is Relied Upon by Everyone

Water infrastructure in the U.S. is a sprawling, masterful feat of ambition and vision. Hundreds of millions of people rely on water and wastewater systems to trust that when they turn on a faucet or flush a toilet, the water flows where it should. The demand for water infrastructure construction works is likely to continue increasing for years to come.

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