Lawrence completes $74.3 million modernization of Kansas River wastewater treatment plant

The City of Lawrence, Kansas, has completed a $74.3 million modernization of its Kansas River Wastewater Treatment Plant, a project designed to improve treatment performance, meet updated permit requirements and extend the life of the facility that handles about 80% of the city’s wastewater flow.

City officials, project partners and community leaders marked the completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The plant, which has served Lawrence since 1956, treats approximately 8 million gallons of wastewater per day before discharging treated effluent to the Kansas River.

Key upgrades included converting four aeration basins to biological nutrient removal (BNR) treatment, adding an ultraviolet disinfection system in place of chlorine treatment, constructing a new SCADA control facility and modernizing electrical infrastructure throughout the plant.

“The city is thrilled to have completed this challenging infrastructure project that modernizes our processes and performance resulting in significant sustainability enhancements while improving the water quality of our treated effluent entering the Kansas River,” said Trevor Flynn, assistant director of municipal services and operations for the City of Lawrence, in a press release.

The project was delivered using the construction manager at risk (CMAR) method, the city’s first wastewater project to use that delivery approach. General contractor McCarthy Building Companies reported developing more than 130 operational sequencing plans to keep the facility fully operational during construction, which began in May 2023. The project team also logged more than 252,000 construction hours without a recordable safety incident.

Engineering services were provided by Black & Veatch.