Developing casino resort community needed new water treatment facility
Leaders of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community (SRP-MIC) realized that their planned commercial corridor along Highway 101 in Scottsdale, Arizona was going to result in an influx of customers. Aside from the new business development,the commercial corridor was to include the Talking Stick Resort casino. To complicate the matter, their existing water treatment facility was located on land where the planned resort casino was to be built. The SRP-MIC needed a new water treatment facility to meet future demands resulting from the resort casino and expanded commercial corridor and to address new EPA arsenic requirements in drinking water. In addition, they needed to decommission and demolish the existing facility to move forward with their resort casino plans. The SRP-MIC chose to use progressive design-build to deliver the new facility.
HDR Design-Build, Inc. selected, 80/20 shared savings clause
The SRP-MIC selected HDR Design-Build, Inc. through a qualifications-based bidding process. The 21-mgd, $26 million facility was designed and constructed to be expandable as future demand increases. Each phase of the project was a guaranteed maximum price. An 80/20 shared-savings clause was included in the contract and the design-build fee was reduced to provide an incentive for cost savings and innovation.
Reservoir siting evaluation leads to dual purpose parking lot
HDR Design-Build, Inc. needed to find a location for a new four-million-gallon reservoir. The decision required the evaluation of numerous parameters, including tank design loading, access for operations and maintenance, water quality, security and the community’s aesthetic requirements. Performing a preliminary reservoir siting evaluation to determine the best location of the reservoir based upon existing and planned structures, HDR Design-Build, Inc. ultimately recommended the tank be installed under the parking lot of the casino. HDR Design-Build, Inc. needed to address water quality in relation to the runoff from the parking lot. For aesthetic and security reasons, tank access hatches and vents were incorporated into the landscape design. The ultimate capacity for these water improvements was determined based on future demands.
HDR negotiates with EPA – Casino construction can start 9 months early
HDR Design-Build, Inc. worked hand-in-hand with the community and the EPA to get an extension for arsenic treatment, allowing the construction of the reservoir and pump station to come on line before the arsenic treatment facility was completed. This allowed the construction of the casino to begin nine months ahead of the original schedule. The arsenic treatment facility was completed prior to EPA’s deadline for arsenic treatment.
The water facility meets all EPA water quality requirements and the project was completed in time to begin construction of the new resort casino.
