American Water Services (AWS) was awarded a 50-year contract for the operations and maintenance of the water and wastewater treatment facilities and distribution systems at Fort Sill, Okla., home to the Army Field Artillery Training Center and School. Valued in excess of $179 million, this contract transfers all aspects of ownership to AWS as part of the Department of Defense (DoD) Privatization Initiative, a method by which the DoD can obtain safe, technologically current, and environmentally sound utility systems at a relatively lower cost than they would under continued government ownership.
The responsibilities of AWS under the contract include system capital investment, regulatory and environmental compliance, planning, asset recapitalization and long-term operations and maintenance.
"In addition to the cost savings, American Water Services will implement innovative techniques to maximize the overall effectiveness and efficiency of this facility," stated Walter Lynch, president of American Water Services. Immediate impacts will include the optimization of chemical usage, which will reduce by half the amount of dried tons of sludge disposed annually.
The water and wastewater systems at Fort Sill serve a total population of 51,500 personnel. The water system includes 550,000 linear feet of pipe, four pump stations, six storage towers, a booster pumping station, and numerous fire hydrants. The wastewater utility includes a tertiary treatment facility that processes 4.3 million gallons of water a day.
The Fort Sill military base occupies 94,220 acres of land about 5 miles north of Lawton, OK and has 1,400 family housing units and 870 temporary housing units for training attendees.
Source: American Water Services
