The Commission issued a Notice to Proceed to Walsh Construction Company II, LLC for the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant, enabling construction to begin at the current plant’s site in Westfield. The $325 million project will replace aging and obsolete infrastructure, increase climate resiliency, and resolve ongoing water quality issues with disinfection byproducts.
The Commission has been working on planning and design for a new plant since 2015, culminating in the completion of design in January 2024. Design and engineering of the new plant was completed by Hazen and Sawyer, which will also serve as the on-site construction engineer. The original founder of Hazen and Sawyer, Allen Hazen, designed the original West Parish Filters Water Treatment Plant at the same site in 1909. Walsh Brothers successfully competed for the bid as General Contractor, and will coordinate work with 12 specialized subcontractors:
The Commission held an Apprenticeship Fair in late June that was attended by over 300 participants to connect local residents with various trades that will be involved in the plant construction. Future apprenticeship fairs are anticipated as the project progresses.
Construction of the new plant will include several months of demolition of the 1925 slow sand filters, the location of which is the site of the new plant. Completion of the new plant is scheduled for September 2028. The Commission completed phase 1 of the project, a new Backwash Facility, in November in order to enable the continuous treatment of water during construction.
“We are excited to be embarking on construction of the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant,” said Commission Executive Director Josh Schimmel. “The new plant will ensure this region has a modern, resilient, and reliable supply of safe drinking water for decades to come. A project of this size represents years of planning and preparation, but most importantly it represents an investment in the future of our community. We are proud to have arrived at this important milestone, and look forward to delivering one of the region’s largest public infrastructure projects in decades.”
Customers and members of the public that are interested in learning more about the new West Parish Water Treatment Plant can visit waterandsewer.org/new-water-plant.