City of Wichita Wichita, Kansas, United States
Providing drinking water to the city of Wichita for decades to come
Replenishing a depleted aquifer
The City of Wichita’s ability to obtain adequate drinking water was threatened because their main source of water, the Equus Beds aquifer, became depleted. Under a design-build contract, an Alberici joint venture delivered a plant that draws water from the Little Arkansas River to replenish the aquifer. This project included a river water intake, an advanced water treatment plant featuring membrane filtration and advanced oxidation, and a high service pump station to deliver treated water to the aquifer.
Treating flood water for future use as drinking water
The team designed and built an innovative process, beginning with an intake structure that pumps up to 60 million gallons of water per day (MGD) out of the river. Filtration systems treat raw water, removing sands and other materials using bar screens, cyclone sand separators, and automatic strainers. After the water passes through the intake structure, it is pumped through a 3-million-gallon pre-sedimentation basin before it is conveyed via a 2-mile-long pipeline to the water treatment plant. The water is then treated at a membrane filtration plant. Water can then be tested and pumped to the ozone/advance oxidation plant for final cleaning and filtration. This filtration process removes atrazine, a herbicide, and disinfects the water. The water is then stored in a 2-million-gallon holding tank before being pumped into wells to replenish the aquifer.
Innovating for Substantial Savings
The Alberici team provided value engineering solutions to deliver the facility at a cost 28 percent below the engineer’s estimate. Most notably, Alberici relocated the pre-sedimentation basin to the intake site, closer to discharge point, to reduce long-term operational costs of solids disposal.
Award-Winning Project
The innovative design and successful delivery of the project led to recognition by major industry groups. The project received the DBIA National Design-Build Award, a DBIA Mid-America Region Award, and an Associated General Contractors of Kansas State Building Award.