NCS Engineers: Recent Accomplishments

As part of the City’s efforts to meet future water demands, the City of Goodyear expanded their groundwater and surface water resources. NCS served as the prime design firm, under a Design-Build team led by Hunter Contracting, for the Site 12 facilities that included two new wells to produce 3,000 gpm (Wells 24 and 25). The additional flows required expansion of the reverse osmosis (RO) treatment system, construction of a new treatment building, increasing the booster pump station capacity, construction of a new 2.0 MG storage tank, and other site improvements including enhancements to the site wall and access roads. Other project elements included a break (equalization) tank, four new 1 MGD RO skids, disinfection system, chemical feed facilities, site grading, site masonry walls, electrical system improvements, SCADA, PLC programming, and a new arsenic removal system for the RO bypass. NCS also provided permitting, startup, and construction phase services for the $20M construction project.

In recent years, NCS has been providing design services for a variety of water system and wastewater design projects. These include planning, design and construction phase support for pipelines, water booster and lift stations, as listed below:

Booster Station 5A Upgrades – NCS provided modeling, planning, and design services for the complete replacement this 2,000 gpm system. This included four new vertical centrifugal pumps, VFDs, manifold piping, valves, flow meters, two- 5000 gallon surge tanks, diesel generator, electrical replacement, and a new SCADA and PLC system.

Booster Station 4 Upgrades – NCS provided modeling, planning and design services for the upgrades to this 900gpm system. This included addition of a fifth vertical centrifugal pump, manifold piping modifications, bladder tank, PRV station, electrical system upgrades. 

Chip Drive Lift Station - This design project included complete replacement of the electrical system, wet well coating, piping rehabilitation, new controls and SCADA, temporary bypass during construction, and repainting the entire site.

Park Avenue Lift Station - This design project included master planning for future loads, complete replacement of the electrical system, wet well coating, pump and valve upgrades, piping rehabilitation, new 8-inch discharge force main, new controls and SCADA, temporary bypass during construction, and repainting the exposed piping.

Mulberry WWTP Aeration Basin Rehabilitation - NCS provided assessment and rehabilitation design services for the structural upgrades to the concrete walls in the basins. This included new steel plates and concrete rehabilitation to support the rotating aeration mechanism.

NCS served as the prime firm for this design and CM project where a new 1,200 gpm well was implemented as an additional potable water source. NCS' design tasks included the following elements: equipping, hydraulics and surge analyses, site paving and grading, drainage, arsenic treatment system, pumpout lines, chlorine system, well pump, electrical, instrumentation, and SCADA systems. NCS used the City’s well design template which was customized as needed for this application. Public relations aspects of the project were coordinated with the City’s Public

Relations consultant. NCS also obtained all Maricopa County approvals and City of Phoenix building permits. The new well has 12 ppb arsenic and pH in the 7.8 range. GIM adsorption is the preferred treatment method of this site. The project also includes two new steel water tanks (30,000 gallons each) for well pumpout and backwash handling.

NCS also provided full-service CM services including submittal review, daily inspections, project administration, RFI review, change order negotiation, and startup commissioning services.

  NCS is providing engineering design services for mechanical equipment replacement, piping rehabilitation, chlorine upgrades and electrical improvements for eight City of Mesa well sites. The scope consists of the following general improvements but vary from site to site: upgrade electrical service from 480V to 4160V; replace the chlorination system; install security cameras and intrusion alarms; replace RTUs and programmable logic controllers; review the sites receiving new motors to determine if the pumps require replacement; prepare bid documents; perform utility coordination; civil/site improvements, perimeter wall and gate improvements;

miscellaneous piping and valve improvements; and site drainage improvements.

Gateway Treatment Facility Expansion & Subsequent Upgrades - NCS was the prime design firm for the 1,700 gpm expansion to this nitrate treatment plant that included a new 3-vessel Ion Exchange system, prefilters, site expansion, brine tanks, backwash and waste tanks, controls, pumping systems, and civil/site elements. The $4M construction project included a custom designed system with upflow regeneration and air scour features. As a follow up project, NCS was selected for another 1,300 gpm upgrade design in 2021 to this nitrate treatment plant. NCS

also provided full-service CM, including shop drawing review, daily inspections, contractor supervision, project administration, and pay application review. 

Steel Tank Rehabilitation - For the past five years, NCS has provided design & CM services for several steel tank rehabilitation projects. These projects involved the recoating of several steel potable water storage tanks for the Rancho Santa Fe and Coldwater sites and structural rehabilitation design. Also included were modifications such as moving the location of the tank fill line, adding a tank drain valve, railings, and tie-offs for safety harnesses.

Northside ATF Rehabilitation - NCS recently provided design and CM services for the rehabilitation of the 8 MGD coagulation/ filtration ATF, that NCS originally designed in 2004. Design elements included valve rehabilitation, media replacement, recoating the interior and exterior of three 46-foot long treatment vessels, valve repairs, and new instruments.

The Tse’lichii (Red Rock) Chapter of the Navajo Nation is located approximately three miles south of Gallup, New Mexico along Highway 602 in McKinley County. The chapter lands encompass approximately 42,400 acres (66.2) square miles. NCS prepared a PER and design to provide a comprehensive plan for sewage collection and treatment for three parcels that are being acquired by the chapter, ranging in size from 40 to 120 acres. These upgrades are necessary to handle sewage from existing septic system and pit privies, and for sewage that will be generated by the proposed improvements. The elements of this project included the following:

• Evaluation of the existing site and facilities and summary of wastewater treatment design criteria.
• The design included headworks, inlet sewer, treatment system, and a service building.
• Summary of wastewater treatment design criteria.
• Development of a list of alternatives for wastewater treatment facilities based on design criteria, and associated costs.
• Aerated lagoons without discharge was the recommended treatment alternative. NCS prepared design drawings of the system and maps.
• NCS also provided CM services for this project, including daily inspection, submittal review, project management, and contractor oversight.

• NCS worked with the Town of Superior to upgrade their WWTP using CDBG and USDA funds.
• The 0.5 MGD plant employs activated sludge with biological nutrient removal and tertiary filtration.
• NCS performed a condition assessment of the facility.
• The plant needed repairs, rehabilitation, and upgrades to prevent failure and improve safety.
• Also there was no redundancy with the previous configuration.
• The PER included analysis and recommendations to rehabilitate the plant and
• create a redundant system that can be used in the event of a needed shut down
• for maintenance while retaining its existing treatment level.
• Other upgrades needed were for the headworks and influent channel, influent pump station, electrical
• building, motor control center, and blowers.
• NCS completed final design of the facilities and provided CM services.

 The Town of Kearny WWTP Upgrades project is a staged design and construction program where NCS serves as the prime firm. The first stage of improvements included preparation of a drawing set to address the ADEQ requirements that has been bid for construction. The drawing set is to include improvements to the Effluent Pump Station, cleaning and inspection of the Effluent Storage Tank, and the removal/decommissioning of the comminutor.

The second drawing set will include the second stage of improvements to the WWTP. This drawing set incorporates Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) improvements, as well as other non-APP related general improvements such as: upgrades to the Reuse Pump Station and Aeration Blower System, and the installation of new sludge drying beds and a dewatering unit. Upon approval to the APP Amendment, it is proposed that the second

drawing set will be sent to bid later this year. The Town of Kearny has requested the following additional WWTP improvements to be added as a third stage of improvements:

• Improvements to the off -site irrigation effluent force main: Removing the Cla-Val and replacing with a 6 inch electric butterfly valve and include new meters and pressure gauges on both sides of the valve.
• Improvements to the Aeromod treatment basin complex: Replacement of the wafer style pneumatic valves (total of 8) and replace the tubing with stainless steel tubing. The splitter box to the clarifier and the strainers are corroded and need to be replaced.
• Improvements to Blower Room: New DANFOSS VFDs for the blowers with the addition of a desiccator and air dryer system.