As part of a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) consent order to reduce wet weather overflows from its wastewater system, the City of St. Petersburg planned a new lift station, 3 miles of 16-inch force main, and modifications to an existing lift station to improve its conveyance capabilities and wastewater service reliability. The Lift Station 87 Wet Weather Flow Transfer project moves wastewater more efficiently through the City’s system and helps balance wet weather flow between its Northwest and Southwest Water Reclamation Facilities (WRF). Using the Progressive Design-Build (PDB) delivery model, the City chose Wade Trim as designer and Archer Western Construction as contractor. The project has received awards from the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Southeast Region and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) on state and national levels: ENR Best Project Award of Merit in Water/Environment, DBIA Florida Region Honor Award in Small Projects, and DBIA National Award of Merit in Water/Wastewater.

Working in collaboration with the City, the PDB team kept the project cost-effective on an expedited 14-month schedule while incorporating innovative ideas and reducing impacts on the community. Preliminary engineering, design, permitting, scheduling, and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) were combined in the pre-construction phase, which was completed in less than 6 months. The lift station, located in the Childs Park Neighborhood, uses portable, diesel-driven pumps to transport 3.5 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater to the Pasadena Master Pump Station, which sends the flow to the St. Petersburg Northwest WRF. The design enhanced the functionality of the pumps to be stored, maintained, or utilized elsewhere in the City when the facility is not in use. Hydraulic modeling was used to optimize the location of the lift station, and to size the pumps and pipeline. Additionally, the force main route allowed for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) installation, which saved time, minimized safety issues, and mitigated impacts to public roads, bike lanes, and bus routes.

Significant coordination with project stakeholders including permitting agencies and the public was key to the success of Lift Station 87. Use of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure Envision framework also led to the project’s heightened community involvement and sustainable design. The PDB team worked closely with the City’s Building Department, FDEP, Pinellas County, and the Florida Department of Transportation, and hosted workshops for residents and community groups. Input was gathered from representatives of local businesses, churches, and schools along the project limits. To further involve the public, the City, Childs Park Neighborhood Association, and Shine Mural Festival Inc., selected local artist Jabari Reed-Diop to create a mural on the facility’s 12-foot acoustical enclosure. Residents also assisted with design and planting of the site’s landscaping.