Edmond advances $578m water treatment plant expansion amid $650m five-year CIP

Edmond advances $578m water treatment plant expansion amid $650m five-year CIPThe Oklahoma municipality is preparing to bid the third and most expensive phase of its water treatment plant expansion, while simultaneously awarding a $13.6 million contract for a new elevated storage tower.

Edmond's five-year CIP includes $480 million for water and $178 million for wastewater projects.

The city's water treatment plant expansion is being executed in three phases with a revised total estimated cost of $578 million.

Phase O1C, covering core process improvements, is estimated to cost between $327 million and $392 million and will go to bid in 2026.

The Public Works Authority awarded a $13.6 million contract for a 2.0-million-gallon elevated storage tower, coming in under the $15.7 million budget.

An ongoing rate study is being conducted to secure financing for the final phase of the water treatment plant.

The Edmond Public Works Authority in Oklahoma is advancing a massive five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) totaling more than $650 million, driven largely by the multi-phase expansion of its primary water treatment plant. According to Water Resources staff member Will Huggins, the CIP allocates approximately $480 million to water projects and $178 million to wastewater infrastructure. The centerpiece of the capital program is the expansion of the city's water treatment plant from its current 12 million gallons per day (MGD) capacity to 30 MGD. Around 40% of the project is dedicated to replacing existing capacity as the current facility nears the end of its useful life. The city was forced to phase the expansion after a 2019 bid for the complete project came in at nearly $260 million—well over the engineer’s $184 million estimate. The revised three-phase approach is now expected to cost approximately $578 million in total. The first phase, dubbed O1A, focused on solids handling and was completed for $38 million. The second phase, O1B, is currently under construction at an estimated cost of $203 million and includes a new high-service pump station, a backwash tank, and a new electrical loop. The final and most expensive phase, O1C, will cover core process improvements such as solids contact clarifiers and chemical treatment. Huggins estimated O1C will cost between $327 million and $392 million. The city plans to bid the project in 2026, with the new plant expected to come online by 2030. An ongoing rate study is currently underway to help secure financing for this final phase. To support the expanded facility, Edmond Electric is designing a new $7 million Arcadia substation that will provide a dedicated 19-megawatt power supply and backup for the water treatment plant. Meanwhile, the city's wastewater CIP will focus on interceptors, lift stations, and rehabilitation work at the wastewater treatment plant. In immediate procurement action during the March 9 meeting, the Authority unanimously approved a $13.6 million contract for the College Complex TWR-5 elevated storage tower. The project will decommission an existing ground tank and an elevated tank to construct a new 2.0-million-gallon elevated tower that complies with the city's operating pressure plane. The low bid came in comfortably below the city's $15.7 million budget and sets up the site for future phases of improvement over the next 15 years.