City of San Diego, Kleinfelder Receive ACEC Engineering Excellence Award for Miramar Clearwell Improvements
SAN DIEGO, California – The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of California recognized City of San Diego and primary design consultant Kleinfelder with an Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the Miramar Clearwell Improvements Project.
Kleinfelder began working on the $120 million project – the largest current Capital Improvement Project for the City of San Diego – in 2012, with construction commencing in June 2016, and provided engineering management, design, and construction support services.
The project essentially replaces the original 1959 facility, including: replacement of two aging water storage reservoirs with two new seismically designed 29.5 MG clearwells (59 MG total storage capacity); dual-train chlorine contact chamber; 215 MGD low-lift pump station; 6,000-SF operation/maintenance facility; guard house/security system; electrical building; and 1 MW photovoltaic solar system.
Kleinfelder mobilized talent from across the country for this highly complex, 4.5-year construction project, which met all major milestones on schedule and completed the last stages of startup in January 2021 with zero unplanned outages of service to over 600,000 customers in northern San Diego.
Kleinfelder Project Manager Ed Matthews noted a large majority of team members from Kleinfelder, NV5, Shimmick Construction, the City, and other major subconsultants were maintained through the nearly five years of construction.
“In my experience of over 30 years, rarely does a complex construction project bring together a group of seasoned professionals who work so well together and share a joint vision as we have with this team,” he said.
From 3D animation of the construction sequence and renderings for the community, to physical modeling of the pump station, the design included the community and major stakeholders throughout the project and into construction. Kleinfelder provided detailed maintenance of plant operations procedures, systems integration, programming for HMI screens, staff training, and new operations manuals.
Structural and seismic design complied with the latest California Building Code for reinforced concrete for the clearwells, which encompass over 7 acres. Over 50,000 cubic yards of concrete was placed for the two clearwells (supported by 612 columns) and the chlorine contact chambers.
“Kleinfelder’s treatment plant design expertise has been vital to the continued success of the Miramar Clearwell Improvements Project. The open lines of communication between the entire Kleinfelder project management team and the City, contractor, and construction management teams in response to design and operational issues has been conducted professionally, in a timely manner, and within the project budget,” commented City of San Diego Project Manager Julie Adam.
“The challenges faced on the Miramar Clearwell Improvements Project have been handled skillfully by Kleinfelder’s project team, demonstrating their ability to accommodate numerous agency and client requests while understanding the need to adhere to the City’s procedural requirements,” she added.
The project enhances the Miramar Water Treatment Plant’s ability to respond to changing water quality conditions with full redundancy and reliability to its customers.
Kleinfelder. Bright People. Right Solutions. Founded in 1961, Kleinfelder is a leading engineering, design, construction management, construction materials inspection and testing, and environmental professional services firm. Kleinfelder now employs more than 3,000 professionals and operates from over 100 office locations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California. Poised for growth, Kleinfelder continues to provide high-quality solutions for our diverse client base. Visit Kleinfelder.com or follow us on LinkedIn/Kleinfelder.
