CATEGORY: Waste and Storm Water

ENTERING FIRM: Baxter & Woodman, Inc.

OTHER CONSULTANTS: Engineering Solutions Team, Hey & Associates, Testing Services Corp, Cardno/TBE Group, Benchmark Construction

OWNER: Wheaton Sanitary District

DESCRIPTION: CHALLENGE Wheaton Sanitary District (WSD) owns and operates the North Side Interceptor Sewer servicing over 200,000 residents in the northeast and central portions of the WSD service area within the City of Wheaton, Village of Carol Stream, and Milton Township. Due to aging infrastructure and increasing population demands, rehabilitation and capacity improvements were essential to ensure effective wastewater management. The challenge was to modernize and optimize the sewer system within developed and environmentally sensitive areas while minimizing disruptions to the community.

SOLUTION Baxter & Woodman successfully completed a comprehensive study for the 5.3 miles of interceptor sewer, determining the most cost-effective route. Through careful planning the team devised a phased improvement to route the sewer in public ROW, with easily accessible manholes, avoiding floodplains and wetlands and private property, and minimizing the need for lift stations. This solution required extensive coordination with multiple permitting agencies, hydraulic modeling for capacity analysis, flow metering, pipeline rehabilitation design, and construction engineering services.

WHY IS THIS PROJECT UNIQUE? The unique aspect of this project was the team’s need to balance the implicit disruptive nature of modernizing 5.3 miles of capital infrastructure sprawling across 3 governing agencies, impacting 14 joint utility members, requiring 17 agency permits and 38 easements while limiting environmental and community impacts. The North Side Interceptor is a complex network originally constructed in 1925, replaced in 1964, and rehabilitated in2003. The team had to plan and construct the interceptor route through developed and environmentally challenging areas. The successful completion of this project ensures that the North Side Interceptor Sewer can continue to serve a growing population effectively, meeting the wastewater management needs of the District for the next 100 years.

HOW DID THE ENGINEER SAVE THE DAY? Baxter & Woodman’s engineering team skillfully navigated the intricate process of planning, preliminary design route selection, funding applications, and final design plans, all while focusing on minimizing costs and maximizing system efficiency. Through cooperation and communication with the local government agencies, permitting agencies, and adjacent stakeholders there were opportunities to value engineer over $3M in savings during construction. The Owner, Engineer, and Contractor leveraged positive proactive communication with stakeholders to construct 6 areas of proposed trenchless sewer installation via open cut construction method. Our team has driven financial and project performance through strong collaboration between design and construction, pro-active communication with the District, general contractor, and project stakeholders, and the application of new Construction Technologies.