Harbor Point WWTP Expansion Passes 50 Percent Complete

The Harbor Point WWTP expansion crossed the 50 percent complete mark this month, with the membrane bioreactor (MBR) structure topped out and the secant pile excavation support system retired from its monitoring program. The project is running 34 days ahead of baseline and has recorded no NPDES permit exceedances since mobilization in 2023.

Crews have placed more than 24,000 cubic yards of concrete and set 2,900 tons of reinforcing steel. The most demanding work so far was the 28-foot-deep basin excavation within 40 feet of operating clarifiers. A network of 86 inclinometers and survey prisms reported movement of less than 0.3 inches throughout, well inside the district's 1-inch limit.

"We have kept the treatment process running through 14 of 23 planned tie-ins without a single operational upset," said Walter Kowalski, the project's superintendent. "That happens because operators, engineers and our crews review each tie-in plan together before the shutdown."

Next up are the process piping installation and the first tank leak tests, followed by electrical and controls work. Start-up of the MBR is scheduled for fall 2026. The project team has worked more than 640,000 hours without a lost-time incident.