The Archer Western-Stantec design-build team has been selected to complete Phase 1 of a Class A Process Optimization for Wastewater Energy Recovery (POWER) project and wastewater treatment plant upgrades for the City of Chattanooga Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus. Archer Western Construction will serve as the lead contractor while Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, will lead design and engineering.
This progressive design-build project is expected to incorporate a thermal hydrolysis process (THP) facility, anaerobic digestion upgrades, and conversion of a high purity oxygen facility to a membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR). Upon completion, the project will be the largest MABR facility in the world. MABR is an energy-efficient, intensified nutrient-removal process that will allow the city to utilize its existing tanks rather than having to build new ones—while meeting future nutrient limits in effluent discharged from the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus.
Wastewater infrastructure designed to minimize costs and maximize capacity
To meet the City’s sustainability and operational goals, the biosolids portion of the project will integrate the THP facility within the existing biosolids treatment process, improving anaerobic digestion and biogas production while reducing the volume of biosolids for disposal.
The facility will produce Class A biosolids that can be used as a soil additive for surrounding farms in the region. The biogas will also be reused to generate steam within the Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus, with the excess generating power for the facility.
“It’s a privilege for our team to support the City of Chattanooga, a long-time client, on its largest capital project under a U.S. EPA Consent Decree,” said Harold Schmidt, wastewater sector director for the US South region at Stantec. “Our team’s design will aim to meet the immediate and enduring wastewater infrastructure needs of the city using efficient, cost-effective processes.”
“Archer Western is honored to partner with Stantec and the City of Chattanooga on this transformative project. We look forward to the close collaboration and progressive design-build delivery that will bring innovative, efficient upgrades to the City’s wastewater operations,” said David Walker, vice president at Archer Western. “Working alongside Stantec, we’re committed to delivering a state-of-the-art project that adheres to the highest standards of safety and quality to meet the City’s goals for energy reduction."
Supporting City initiatives
In support of the City’s green initiatives, this project will create a positive community impact with a design that focuses on sustainability and efficiency. The City has committed to a six-goal climate action plan to reduce disparities among socially and economically vulnerable communities, reach net zero-carbon emissions, achieve zero waste, build a more sustainable city, preserve and improve natural resources, and be a leader in the green economy. The project is an important step toward achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Stantec has had a relationship with the City of Chattanooga for the past decade, serving as a resource for on-call services. This project, which began as a pilot, will be the largest project the firm has completed for the City to date.
Stantec has designed over 30 THP facilities—nearly half of those that are operating globally. Learn more about Stantec’s THP capabilities.
About Stantec
Stantec empowers clients, people, and communities to rise to the world’s greatest challenges at a time when the world faces more unprecedented concerns than ever before.
We are a global leader in sustainable architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting.
Our professionals deliver the expertise, technology, and innovation communities need to manage aging infrastructure, demographic and population changes, the energy transition, and more.
Today’s communities transcend geographic borders. At Stantec, community means everyone with an interest in the work that we do—from our project teams and industry colleagues to our clients and the people our work impacts. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure.
We are designers, engineers, scientists, project managers, and strategic advisors. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.
Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.
About Archer Western Construction
Archer Western Construction is a part of The Walsh Group, a 126-year-old family-owned company that is an industry-leader in providing client-focused construction services across the water, transportation and building markets. The Walsh Group operates as Archer Western Construction and Walsh Construction across 21 regional offices in North America. While adapting to changes in the industry and construction technology, the company has maintained a commitment to delivering high-quality projects with a family approach to business. The Walsh Group is consistently ranked among the largest treatment plant contractors in the United States, with 2024 rankings as the largest water treatment plant builder and second largest wastewater treatment plant builder in the United States, according to Engineering News-Record. To learn more, visit www.walshgroup.com.
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