A major wastewater infrastructure upgrade has been completed in Lawrence, Kansas, extending the operational life of one of the city's primary treatment facilities while supporting stricter environmental compliance and long-term utility reliability. The project modernizes critical treatment systems serving most of the community's wastewater needs.
McCarthy Building Companies has completed construction of the $74.3 million modernization of the Kansas River Wastewater Treatment Plant for the City of Lawrence. Black & Veatch served as the engineer of record for the project.
Originally commissioned in 1956, the facility treats roughly 8 million gallons of wastewater each day, handling approximately 80% of Lawrence's daily wastewater flow. The modernization replaced aging infrastructure and upgraded treatment processes to help the facility meet current regulatory requirements while extending its service life.
Among the project's major improvements were the conversion of four aeration basins into biological nutrient removal systems, reducing nitrogen and phosphorus discharged into the Kansas River. The project also replaced chlorine-based disinfection with an ultraviolet treatment system, providing a chemical-free disinfection process.
Additional upgrades included construction of a new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) facility for real-time plant monitoring and replacement of more than 10 motor control centers and switchboards as part of a broader electrical modernization effort.
The project marked the City of Lawrence's first wastewater project delivered through the Construction Manager at Risk procurement method.
McCarthy Building Companies joined the project during design, allowing the construction team to work with the owner and engineer on constructability reviews, procurement planning and sequencing before construction began in May 2023.
Because the treatment plant remained fully operational throughout construction, project teams developed more than 130 operational sequencing plans to coordinate construction activities without interrupting wastewater treatment services.
Construction was completed after more than 252,000 work hours with no recordable safety incidents.
Municipal utilities across the United States continue investing in wastewater treatment upgrades to address aging infrastructure, evolving environmental regulations and long-term system reliability. For construction owners and water infrastructure contractors, projects like the Kansas River Wastewater Treatment Plant modernization highlight the growing use of collaborative delivery methods and phased construction strategies that allow essential public facilities to remain operational throughout major rehabilitation work.
Source: McCarthy.
