HCWA Board Tours Walnut Creek Plant Construction
Following last month’s Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) Board Meeting, Board Members received an up-close look at the construction progress being made at the Walnut Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF). The Authority’s more than $181 million dollar investment will nearly double the size of the plant’s treatment capacity, just in time to accommodate the growth in the region.
The existing Walnut Creek Plant is permitted for 8 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater treatment capacity. According to Authority officials, the plant’s current average daily treatment of wastewater from HCWA customers in this basin has reached around 90 percent of that limit. Thus, the need for expansion, as completion of the project is on schedule to meet the expected increase in customer demand.
According to HCWA officials, the Walnut Creek Plant Expansion project is one of the largest within the utility’s 30-year, long-term Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The original 4 MGD Walnut Creek Plant went into service in 2004. It was expanded to 8 MGD in 2012, as the Authority’s leadership and staff made sure the system kept up with unprecedented growth over the past 20 years. Now, they’ve determined it’s time for the facility to expand again.
The Authority authorized the start of preparations and design on the newly expanded plant in 2020, with construction beginning in January of this year. The Walnut Creek Plant Expansion project now includes the construction of a new 6 MGD membrane plant adjacent to the existing 8 MGD contact stabilization plant.
The new addition to the Walnut Creek Facility will reflect advancements in wastewater treatment technologies, as wastewater treated through the membranes and other advanced processes will allow the Authority to discharge directly into the South River, because of how clean that wastewater will be at the end of the treatment cycle. Authority officials note the HCWA already utilizes membrane technology at its Indian Creek Water Reclamation Facility with great success.
“After touring the Walnut Creek Plant construction site, I could see the complexity of this project, and I came away impressed with how our staff and the construction team are working together to meet this challenge,” says Sandra Rozier, Vice Chair of the HCWA Board. “This facility will not only meet the demand of our customers for years to come, but it will also do so with some of the most advanced technologies available. It’ll be a facility we all can be proud of.”
The lead engineer on the Walnut Creek Expansion project is Engineering Strategies, Inc., while the secondary engineer is Barge Design Solutions. The bid on the project’s construction was awarded to Archer Wester Construction and PC Construction as a joint venture of these two general contractors. Archer Western is handling the primary construction of all structures associated with liquid wastewater treatment, while PC is constructing all structures associated with sludge (solids) treatment. 
This major construction project timeline is expected to be 30 months, with completion anticipated in 2025, which is prior to when the existing plant is expected to reach its capacity. According to Authority officials, the project is nearly 25% completed to date.
“I’m so proud of our staff and engineers for the amount of work they have put into this, and for the kind of partnership they’ve formed with our contractors to make this happen,” says Jimmy Carter, HCWA Chairman of the Board. “When I see the planning and amount of detail going into this project, I feel even better about the investment, and I think we’re going to look back years down the road and see this plant expansion as a critical part of our long-range plans to deliver the best possible water and sewer services to our customers.”
Caption(s) for photos (from top to bottom):
HCWA Board Members tour the construction site at the Authority’s Walnut Creek Water Reclamation Facility. (Front Row, L to R): HCWA Chairman Jimmy Carter, HCWA Vice-Chair Sandra Rozier, HCWA Secretary Myra Lott, HCWA Board Member Warren Holder, and HCWA Board Member Fred Mays. (Back Row, L to R): HCWA General Manager Tony Carnell and HCWA Board Member Bruce B. Holmes.
An aerial photo of the ongoing construction to expand the HCWA Walnut Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF).
Construction continues at the HCWA Walnut Creek Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) on the Autothermal Thermophilic Aerobic Digestion (ATAD) portion of the plant, which will produce high-quality Class A Biosolids from the wastewater treatment process.
#
Media Contact: Chris Wood, Ph.D.
P: 770-757-1681
E: chris@jwapr.com or john.wood@gcsu.edu