On April 4, 2024, the City of St. Augustine was awarded the “Project of the Year” at the 2024 Florida American Public Works Association (APWA) Annual Conference Awards Banquet for the WWTP No. 1 Headworks Rehabilitation project. This project successfully addressed critical project drivers including improved treatment, structural rehabilitation, and incorporation of climate resilience measures for long-term asset protection, all while meeting the constraints of a fixed CIP budget.
Working with CDM Smith (Engineer) and Wharton-Smith (Construction Manager), the City was able to successfully rehabilitate the existing headworks to like-new condition, representing a savings of more than $4M versus installation of a new headworks. This project demonstrates a unique approach of utilizing key research studies and CMAR partnership to make design and capital decisions that drive more cost-effective, rehabilitation-based methods for addressing aging infrastructure.
“I was so excited to be a part of this project,” said Marcus Pinson, City of St. Augustine Utility Plant Engineer. “I’m thrilled knowing the environmental impacts that it will ultimately have throughout its life.”
The Headworks is the first step in the wastewater treatment process, removing trash and inorganic materials such as plastic and grit from entering the facility, which in turn produces a cleaner effluent.