McCarthy Begins Richland-Chambers Wetlands Phase II Project

McCarthy Building Companies Inc., a Texas builder for 30 years, recently started on the second phase of a project for Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) to create 1,300 acres of wetlands near the Richland-Chambers Reservoir. Upon completion, this will be the second largest wetlands construction project in the U.S.

This $42-million project will ultimately provide a 30% increase in water supply from Richland-Chambers Reservoir, which serves as a vital source of water for a large portion of TRWD’s 1.8 million customers.

Phase one of the project established the first 250 acres of the George W. Shannon Wetlands Water Reuse Project to assist in the treatment of river water that could be returned to the reservoir near Corsicana, Texas. The water reuse project diverts flows from the Trinity River and channels water through constructed wetland cells. Serving as natural filters, these wetland cells remove excess nutrients, sediment and other contaminants.

“We are excited about working with McCarthy on this project,” said Mike Meza, TRWD’s Eastern Div. director. “Our customer base is expected to increase to 4.3 million by 2060, so this facility will play a crucial role in our long-range water supply efforts.”

McCarthy will construct 15 wetland cells, install a raw water pipeline and three sedimentation basins and complete upgrades to pump and lift stations. The firm said this project is one of the first horizontal construction projects in Texas to use the Construction Management-at-Risk (CM-at-risk) delivery method.

“The CM-at-Risk delivery was selected due to the high risk of potential flood events that could impact the project schedule,” said Kyle Masters, McCarthy business development manager. “We worked collaboratively with TRWD to develop contingency plans and risk-sharing strategies that would mitigate the impact of these potential flood events and ultimately reduce the project cost.”

McCarthy began work on site in early 2011, and the project is scheduled for completion in 2013. The engineer on the project is Alan Plummer Associates Inc. of Dallas.

With more than $200 million currently under contract, McCarthy’s Texas Div. aims to advance its reputation as leader in water and wastewater construction in the state. In addition to the TRWD project, the division is also completing ozone facilities for water treatment plants in Fort Worth and Wylie, Texas.

Source: McCarthy Building Companies Inc.