The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) recently selected Black & Veatch to provide design and engineering services for renewal and replacement projects at its three wastewater treatment plants. The upgrades are part of the department’s $8.6 billion capital improvement program to enhance and expand critical wastewater plant elements over the next eight years.
The project consists of major upgrades to critical elements of the three treatment plants, including the plants’ biological processes, filtration and disinfection systems, electrical generation buildings and injection well pump stations. As part of the contract, Black & Veatch will also support WASD as it implements processes to reuse 60 percent of its wastewater to meet the State of Florida’s Ocean Outfall Legislation (OOL) requirements. The legislation requires that utilities in Southeast Florida eliminate the daily use of ocean outfalls by the end of 2025, reduce nutrient discharges and implement a reuse system that is technically and economically feasible.
“The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department is committed to being a model utility of excellence in reliability, resilience, and environmental stewardship,” said Water and Sewer Director Roy Coley. “We are eager to partner with organizations such as Black & Veatch and invest in opportunities that will best position the department to provide the highest quality of services to our customers.”
This solution, the implementation of Effluent Energy Recovery Systems, uses non-potable water to cool plant buildings — replacing cooling towers with heat exchangers, saving the county millions of dollars and allowing the department to meet their legislative requirements for water reuse. The high quality, non-potable water then will be disposed of through deep injection wells not connected to the county’s drinking water source. Moreover, the reuse system will be powered almost entirely from renewable energy sources, following Miami-Dade County’s commitment to sustainable practices.
“As regulations evolve, the Black & Veatch team specializes in supporting utilities in upgrading and updating their infrastructure to maintain current standards,” said Mike Orth, president of Black & Veatch’s Governments and Communities sector. “Bold new water and energy nexus strategies are needed to solve our client’s pressing needs. Our team is ready to leverage our more than a century of expertise in critical infrastructure to deliver modernization and new sustainable water reuse solutions to Miami-Dade County.”
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