Project Description

Magna served as the prime design consultant for this $7M emergency design-build project.  In April, 2015, the Morris Forman Water Quality Treatment Center suffered severe flooding after an explosion at the plant’s electrical substation.  The plant lost power during high river conditions, which requires the plant effluent to be pumped.  As the effluent pumps were not operational, much of the plant was submerged, including switchgear, motor controls centers, variable frequency drives, and plant control panels, many of which were located in below-grade spaces within process buildings.

The project was initiated to not only replace electrical and control equipment, but also a new electrical/controls building located above grade to house the new equipment, and renovation of above-grade spaces in existing buildings to accommodate electrical equipment.  In addition, underground feeder and control conduits were contaminated with wastewater, which could not be left exposed to interior spaces.  The project included new overhead cable trays for 13,800 and 480 volt feeders and control cabling, which allowed existing feeders to remain in service during replacement, allows easier access for future maintenance, and also eliminates the possibility of future conduit flooding for those systems replaced.

The new building is provided with interior lighting, and multiple through-wall HVAC units to provide adequate cooling for heat-producing variable frequency drives and control equipment.