Seattle Public Utilities and CH2M HILL

Seattle Public Utilities retained CH2M HILL to design, build, and operate the Cedar Water Treatment Facility at the Lake Youngs Reservation. CH2M HILL is an employee-owned, full-service project delivery firm that has been providing services within the Seattle area since the 1950s.

With the innovative design-build-operate process, CH2M HILL will save the City about 30 percent, or $50 million over the estimated cost of a conventional design-bid-build-city-operate procurement.

Project Overview

Development of the new facilities has three phases: design, construction, and operation; the first two phases, design and construction, have been completed. During the construction phase, the CH2M HILL team finalized design details, obtained permits, and met with community members. The construction phase, started in May 2002 and was completed on schedule in approximately 2 years. CH2M HILL's operations and maintenance company, OMI, will operate the facility for at least 15 years and up to 25 years, if Seattle Public Utilities opts for two 5-year extensions.

Least Impact and Sustainable Design Approach

The Lake Youngs Reservation was established in the early 1920s to protect the quality of the drinking water held in reserve at the lake. With protection of the water supply source, the natural environment has been maintained in a near pristine state.

CH2M HILL's design of the Cedar Water Treatment Facility was based on "least impact" to the pristine environment at the Lake Young Reservation. Impacts to wetlands were avoided by using a dispersed site layout, minimizing building footprints, reusing existing infrastructure, and upgrading wetland habitat through native plantings.

A sustainable approach is also key to the design, construction, and operation of the Cedar Water Treatment Facility. The Seattle Public Utilities/CH2M HILL team hopes to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver rating for the facility by incorporating green building elements. The people and environmentally friendly design includes passive ventilation and daylighting, recycled construction materials, and certified wood products. Click here to learn more about LEED and sustainable design at the Cedar Water Treatment Facility.

Construction in June 2002

On June 5, 2002, Seattle Public Utilities and CH2M HILL officially broke ground for the new Cedar Water Treatment Facility. The celebratory ceremony featured Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Chuck Clarke (Seattle Public Utilities Director), Margaret Pageler (Seattle Councilwoman), Don Evans (CH2M HILL Senior Vice President), Bob James (Washington State Department of Health), and Tom Hoffman (Chair of the Purveyor's Water Quality and Supply Subcommittee). More than 100 people, representing Seattle Public Utilities, its water purveyors, and design theam (CH2M HILL, Susan Black and Associates), and the construction team (CH2M HILL, CCI, Mortenson, University Mechanical, TSI, Plateau, and General Construction) attended the celebration.

Environmental Protection Measures Effective During Construction

To preserve water quality and protect wetland functioning, a number of construction techniques and best management practices (BMPs) were employed. BMPs to control erosion and sedimentation included storm inlet protection; filter fabric fencing; temporary/permanent planting and mulching; erosion control mats; interceptor ditches, dikes and swales; and sediment traps and stormwater ponds. Environmental monitoring occurred daily and consisted of measuring the water quality of Lake Youngs and nearby wetlands and maintaining erosion control measures. Environmental protection measures kept water quality parameters well within drinking water standards and allowable wetland turbidity limits.

A local cub scout troop made a tremendous contribution to the Cedar team's efforts to enhance habitat values at the Cedar Water Treatment Facility, while learning about the value of conservation and earning a merit badge. The scouts, their parents, and Cedar team members planted approximately 700 saplings, including western hemlock, Douglas fir and Cedar trees, in about 3 hours on crisp autumn Saturday morning. The trees were planted as part of the project's mitigation for impacts to a low-value wetland buffer primarily composed of mowed grass adjacent to an existing roadway. The tree planting was part of Cedar team's goal to go above and beyond required mitigation to sustaining and contributing to the environment.

The construction waste management plan for the project had a goal of diverting the maximum amount of construction waste materials from the landfill by such means as recycling wood forms, waste material and packing materials. Construction workers reused and salvaged materials, and tracked them for recycling, salvage or disposal. Of the 698 tons of debris generated at the site, approximately 595 tons, or slightly more than 85 percent, were recycled.

Healthy and Safe Construction Site—OSHA STAR Awarded to Construction Team

On June 17, 2003, the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act Services (WISHA) awarded the coveted Occupational Safety and Health Administration's "STAR" safety designation to CH2M HILL Construction Inc. (CCI) for the Cedar project. The STAR is given to companies with best health and safety programs and track records. The award is an important recognition—only 16 construction companies nationwide have ever received a STAR. The CCI STAR is the first to a construction company in Washington State. Dan Reynolds led the huge team effort—a two-year application process which included 80 interviews with individual project staff and bi-monthly site visits. With over 200,000 employee hours in June 2003, there were no lost-time injuries for the project and only three minor recorded injuries, far below national industry averages.