Baltimore approves $263.5 million treatment plant upgrade

The Board of Estimates for the city of Baltimore, Maryland, has approved a $263.5 million contract award to Archer Western Contractors (Chicago, IL) to construct the first phase of an enhanced nutrient removal facility at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. Under the contract, Archer Western will construct a 300 million gallon per day (mgd) pumping station, 52 biological filters, and associated chemical feed facilities. The company will also build supporting plant infrastructure, including underground utilities, roadways, communications, and plant process control systems. The project is part of the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Program, a Maryland Department of the Environment initiative that aims to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loading into the Chesapeake Bay.