HRI, Inc. – Heavy and Environmental Construction Region
In late 2020, HRI Inc. was awarded a contract to upgrade the Altoona Water Authority’s (AWA) Westerly Sewage Treatment Plant in Altoona, PA through a local construction management firm. The purpose of the upgrade was to make AWA’s sludge treatment process a net-zero energy consumption due to utilizing biogas (energy-rich gas) from the wastewater to operate their boilers and sludge paddle dryer.
The total project package included millions of dollars in upgrades consisting of a new digester control building, equipment installation, underground and process pipe, as well as a full electrical package.
The award came after months of redesign and cost saving negotiations by the HRI Estimating Team along with the construction management ESG to provide AWA with the best product for the lowest cost. In late September 2020, the Design-Build project began—less than a week after the contract was finalized. The project is slated for June 2022 completion; however, most of the contract work by HRI is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. The AWA Westerly Treatment Plant services multiple townships and municipalities and has the capacity to treat 20 million gallons per day of wastewater, all of which will remain in operation during construction.
At the time of publication, there have been over 17,500 work hours completed on the project with no recordables or lost time incidents thanks to the HRI employees’ effort in promoting a safe work environment.
