Upgraded facilities, a new revenue stream, and a plant that looks like a work of art

City of Merced - Wastewater Treatment Facility

The City of Merced needed us to upgrade their facilities for a rapidly growing population and help them protect their natural resources for future generations. We’ve partnered with the city since 2004, completing multiple upgrade projects at their 1950s era wastewater treatment facility. It was time for a serious overhaul, and Stantec helped with a wide range of projects, including master planning, simultaneous nitrification denitrification and aeration system upgrades, solids handling upgrade, and a new, technologically sophisticated operations and maintenance manual. The new plant has been expanded from 8 to 12 million gallons per day, with provisions for an eventual 20 million.

One of the biggest problems with wastewater is what to do with the biosolids—often they’re sent to a landfill, creating economic and environmental costs for the city and its residents. Our new system creates the highest EPA rated Class A biosolids, which are now sold to fertilize valuable local crops. Saving the environment, supporting local farms, and earning money for our client—we can’t think of a better outcome.