plans underway for rehabilitation of 30 year-old el paso water treatment plant

A big waste water processing facility in El Paso that serves the northwest and western side of the city is on the verge of a comprehensive rehabilitation.

Located at 701 Executive Center Boulevard in northwest El Paso, the John T. Hickerson Water Reclamation Facility, opened in 1987, currently treats waste water flows of up to 17.5 million gallons per day.

Owned by utility company El Paso Water, the facility receives waste water from both residential as well as industrial points of origin. Upon processing, what becomes reclaimed water is then delivered to a number of parks and schools in west El Paso, as well as the 18-hole Coronado Country Club Golf Course. 

Now El Paso Water has issued a Request for Proposals to complete the rehabilitation of what was formerly called the Northwest Water Treatment Plant using a design-build delivery method.

The work will include building a temporary bypass structure and pipeline at the facility’s splitter box, as well as replacing the existing HVAC system at the blow and waste activated sludge buildings.

Additional project work will see the installation of a new emergency generator, and the replacement of return activated sludge and waste activated sump pumps, fittings, and control equipment.

Also to be replaced: diffused aeration grids and flow control valves.
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The facility, named in honor of long-time engineer and El Paso Water director John T. Hickerson, underwent an extensive upgrade in the mid-1990s. Five years ago, a new 1.5 million gallon reclaimed water storage tank was installed at the site.
Submission deadline for the RFP is January 31. 

​By Garry Boulard

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