The New York City Department of Environmental Protection?s (DEP) Catskill-Delaware Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection Facility, the largest ultraviolet water treatment facility in the world, was selected by Engineering News-Record (ENR) as a 2013 ?Best of the Best Projects.? The winning projects, completed between July 2012 and July 2013, represent the best examples of design and construction excellence among completed work in the United States.?
The Catskill-Delaware UV Disinfection Facility qualified for the best overall project award after being selected as the recipient of ?New York?s 2013 Best Projects Award? by ENR last October. Chosen among four finalists in the Water/Environment category, the facility includes several firsts, including the installation of equipment ? record-setting in size ? and demonstrates an exemplary field application of ultraviolet technology.
CH2M HILL, in partnership with Arcadis, was construction manager on this project. As part of the joint venture team, CH2M HILL provided construction management services for the $1.3 billion project, including operations consulting, coordination of four major prime contractors working on the site, and several related offsite projects.
?The Catskill-Delaware UV facility is the largest of its kind in the world,? said Paul Whitener, CH2M HILL program director. ?The facility treats 2.2 billion gallons of water per day and delivers safe water to New York City and lower Westchester County?s 9 million residents. Working closely with the New York City DEP and the entire design and construction team, we helped deliver a unique facility that is setting the standard for other water municipalities looking to incorporate UV technology into their treatment processes.?
New York City?s water supply is the largest unfiltered system in the nation. The city?s three watersheds (Catskill, Delaware and Croton) extend 125 miles and include 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes; the Catskill and Delaware watersheds supply 90 percent of the city?s drinking water.
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Ultraviolet treatment technology is not a new concept and has been used extensively for wastewater post-disinfection. However, the Catskill-Delaware facility, completed in 2012, is the first treatment plant to incorporate UV water treatment on such a large scale. Designed to meet future regulatory requirements, the UV facility provides an additional layer of protection to keep the city?s drinking water safe by inactivating water-based bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illnesses.? ?
