Earth Tech Awarded $9.1 Million Design Contract to Support Indianapolis Pipeline

...interplant connection pipeline and pumping station that will help reduce combined sewer overflows into area streams and rivers. Earth Tech’s 17 month design contract, valued at USD $9.1 million, continues Earth Tech’s initial work on the project and includes final design specifications, material recommendations, construction drawings and permits, management of land acquisition services, preparation of a Plan of Operation and construction bidding services, for the connection pipeline and 75 million gallon per day (mgd) pumping station. Earth Tech’s project design work is to be completed by March 2008 on a schedule that helps the City meet its Consent Decree from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This decree calls for project construction and operation by December 2012. Earth Tech, serving as lead engineering consultant, previously prepared the Advanced Facility Planning Report for this project, which provided recommendations on the pipeline alignment and diameter, as well as construction materials and methods.

The 35,000-foot, 144-inch internal diameter pipeline will use gravity to convey at least 320 mgd of flow from an existing combined sewer overflow structure near the city’s Belmont Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT)plant and two large diversion structures connecting to existing city interceptor sewers, along with the connection of a future 150 mgd pumping station from the City’s future planned deep tunnel combined sewer overflow collection and storage system, to the pumping station at the Southport AWT plant. The interplant connection project is a key component of the City’s approximately 20-year, $2 billion program designed to significantly reduce combined sewer overflows into Indianapolis streams and rivers, which occur approximately 60 times a year. "With this long-term strategy, Indianapolis is demonstrating a commitment to managing its ongoing sewage problems," said John Morgan, City of Indianapolis. "This interplant connection pipeline project is an important step toward improving water quality in the White River and its tributaries, which are important natural resources and great assets to the city." Approximately 85% of the pipeline will be constructed using soft-ground tunneling methods and the remainder will be constructed using conventional open-cut methods.

About the company

Earth Tech Inc. is a global provider of a full suite of engineering, construction and operations services to the international water/wastewater, environmental, transportation, and facilities markets. A business unit of Tyco International Ltd. and part of the company’s Engineered Products& Services segment, Earth Tech employs some 7,000 talented people, delivering services to customers in 15 countries. Founded in 1970, Earth Tech is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif. More information on Earth Tech can be found at www.earthtech.com