In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and its flooding, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) has undertaken the major NYC Wastewater Resiliency Program to strengthen New York City’s wastewater infrastructure against climate change, sea level rise, and extreme weather. The ambitious program will harden 14 wastewater resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) and more than 50 pumping stations via resilience improvements, including the installation of flood-proofing measures and relocation of critical equipment above design flood elevations (DFE).

EnTech has provided construction management and inspection services throughout construction at six WRRFs serving 4.2 million New Yorkers: Hunts Point, in the Bronx; Newtown Creek, in Brooklyn; Bowery Bay and Tallman Island, in Queens; Port Richmond, in Staten Island; and Wards Island, in the East River. The firm has coordinated and monitored civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical tasks to ensure critical upgrades are completed in compliance with contract specifications and agency standards.

EnTech has provided extensive virtual design and construction (VDC) services for the program, including conducting laser scanning and developing existing conditions BIM for areas of the Owls Head, Red Hook, and Wards Island WRRFs, and for pumping stations in Manhattan and the Bronx. EnTech’s design team provided MEP and structural engineering services for selected projects, including the replacement of grit pumps at Red Hook WRRF, the assessment of power distribution networks at multiple sites, and the installation of a steel floodwall at Tallman Island WRRF. EnTech has additionally provided permit expediting for work at multiple facilities, submitted closeout documentation, and coordinated final inspections.