The City of Republic, Missouri, has completed an expansion of its Water Reclamation Facility, increasing treatment capacity to 5 million gallons per day (MGD) to support community growth and meet regulatory requirements.

City officials and project partners marked the milestone with a ribbon-cutting Oct. 29. Delivered with Burns & McDonnell through progressive design-build, the expansion features Missouri’s largest membrane bioreactor (MBR) system and is part of a $145 million wastewater infrastructure program.

The broader program includes peak wet weather improvements and three collection system projects, including approximately 13,000 feet of new gravity sewer serving the Brookline corridor and upgrades to the McElhaney and Lift Station 4 facilities.

Republic selected progressive design-build for the first time to coordinate design, procurement and construction. Value engineering helped bring early estimates in line with the budget while preserving treatment objectives. Phased commissioning allowed new systems to come online while the existing facility continued operating.

The improvements build on the city’s wastewater master plan, developed with Burns & McDonnell in 2017, and are intended to accommodate continued development and projected population growth.