The R.E. Badger Water Filtration Plant is owned and operated by Santa Fe Irrigation District (SFID). Plant improvements resulted in a new solids dewatering process, building, and sludge storage tank; retrofitted the 1 MG, 90-foot-tall filter washwater tank and 13 MG clearwell; and completed concrete refurbishment and safety upgrades at the San Dieguito Dam.

Study and Design Improvements

Kleinfelder was retained to study and design improvements to the current operation for sedimentation sludge dewatering and used filter wash water (FWW). Kleinfelder provided geotechnical investigation, structural, electrical, instrumentation and control, mechanical, and civil engineering from study through to construction. The dewatering portion of the project included developing a solids mass balance, testing solids settle-ability and dewater-ability, developing and evaluating multiple alternatives for solids-handling and FWW treatment, conducting a geotechnical investigation, preparing comprehensive construction design documents, and supporting bidding and construction phase services.

Project Phases

The bid and construction approach split the project into two construction packages. The first package focused on mechanical dewatering, while the second package focused on seismic upgrades and dam improvements.

The mechanical dewatering package added a redundant gravity thickener, new sludge holding and blending tank, new centrifuge building, and new utility water booster pump station. It also rehabilitated the existing gravity thickener and converted the existing centrifuge building into an electrical building.

The second package rehabilitated the FWW tank and clearwell (structural and civil engineering improvements), and included concrete repairs and replacement of handrails at the San Dieguito Dam.

Since it was critical that water treatment did not stop during construction, the project included innovative construction approaches such as the construction of a temporary filter washwater system and a complete temporary relocation of the filter washwater tank itself.

Project Results

Upgrades to the R.E. Badger Water Filtration Plant improved the reliability of the facility by introducing redundancy and seismic improvements. The project was named a Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA) San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapter (2023), an Outstanding Structural Engineering Project by the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2022), and received an Engineering Excellence Honor Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) California chapter (2024).

Project Details

Location:
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Owner:
Santa Fe Irrigation District