Pittsburgh, PA – The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) invites engineering consultants to bid on the design of the Clearwell Replacement project. This estimated $57 million project will replace the century-old, 44-million-gallon drinking water Clearwell at the PWSA Water Treatment Plant.   

Design engineers interested in bidding on this project are encouraged to visit PWSA’s Procurement Portal for detailed project information, download necessary documents, and learn about important deadlines to qualify. PWSA is hosting a mandatory, in-person pre-proposal meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 15, 2024 at its headquarters located at 1200 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh, PA. To submit a proposal, consultants interested in this project are required to have a representative attend.  

“The Clearwell Replacement project is one of several that is modernizing our water distribution system and providing customers with more secure and reliable water services now and for the future,” said PWSA CEO Will Pickering. “By working toward replacing this century-old structure, we’re acting upon our mission to protect public health and support our region,” he said.  

“We are thrilled to begin the process of designing this monumental project for Pittsburgh and the region,” said PWSA’s Chief Engineering Officer, Rachael Beam. “The Clearwell, originally constructed in 1912, was an engineering marvel for its time. Once replaced, the new Clearwell will be equally remarkable by incorporating redundancy and operational efficiency to ensure secure and reliable services for the next century,” she said.  

This project is the centerpiece initiative of the Water Reliability Plan, a series of once-in-a-generation projects to upgrade pumping, storage, and treatment facilities throughout our water distribution system. Other projects in the Plan are occurring in careful sequence to allow the current Clearwell to be taken offline and replaced. These projects will strengthen our drinking water infrastructure and reduce the likelihood of service interruptions.  

To date, PWSA has completed lining and cover work at the covered Highland Reservoir, restoration of two large-diameter water mains in Highland Park and is halfway done upgrading the large diameter water mains and pump station in Highland Park. Still to come is the major rehabilitation of the Aspinwall Pump Station, the replacement of the Bruecken Pump Station, and construction of a bypass around the existing Clearwell. 

PWSA is hosting a Contractor Information Session on March 20th at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for upcoming construction contracts for the pump station improvements and Clearwell Bypass projects. To register or for more information about the event, please visit https://www.pgh2o.com/news-events/events-meetings/wrpcontracts . 

Design engineering services, currently advertised for the Clearwell Replacement project, are for the replacement of the existing 44-million-gallon drinking water Clearwell at the PWSA Water Treatment Plant. The Clearwell is a large, century old water storage facility that is used to treat water with chlorine to kill any harmful bacteria or pathogens. The scope of work for this project will include the preparation of the biddable contract documents for the demolition of the existing Clearwell and the construction of a new Clearwell structure(s) that will meet all current regulatory requirements and provide operational flexibility, resiliency, and redundancy, in its place. The completed design will include civil, structural, mechanical, process, electrical, security, instrumentation, and sustainability design components.