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| Mankato WRF wins 2007 Project of the Year Award The city of Mankato, in partnership with Calpine Corporation, and Black & Veatch have earned the 2007 Project of the Year Award in the Environment category (for projects greater than $10 million) from the Minnesota chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) for an environmentally and economically beneficial water reclamation facility (WRF). The facility produces high-quality water for reuse in the generation of electricity by Calpine. It is the first of its kind in Minnesota and one of the first in the United States. Black & Veatch provided planning, design and construction-related services for the facility, which was constructed through a three-way public-private partnership among Mankato, California-based Calpine and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The city owns and operates the award-winning facility at the Mankato Wastewater Treatment Plant. Calpine paid for design and construction of the facility, and the MPCA expedited the city's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit renewal and plan approval in implementing this innovative reclamation and reuse project. The cost for the WRF was nearly $20 million. The city, which otherwise would have needed to build the stage-one facilities to comply with new phosphorus limits within a few years, saved approximately $10 million. Savings to Calpine include the operational and maintenance costs of the WRF, which are anticipated to be approximately $500,000 per year over the 20-year agreement. Potable water cost savings for Calpine will exceed $1.5 million annually. APWA's Project of the Year Awards recognize the partnership between the managing agency, the consultant/architect/engineer, and the contractor who, working together, complete a commendable public works project. Mankato also earned a 2006 Governor's MnGREAT! (Minnesota Government Reaching Environmental Achievements Together Award for the project. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Construction News :: home page |