Two City of Fresno projects received awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies, California (ACEC California) after announcing its 2019 Engineering Excellence Awards winners yesterday. Projects were recognized for demonstrating an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement and value.
Carollo Engineers, Inc. received the prestigious Honor Award distinction for its work on the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility (SESWTF). While Fresno has had ample surface water supplies from the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers, they were underutilized for decades and the City depended on pumping groundwater for its main supply. With construction of the SESWTF, the City has replaced its dependence on groundwater with high quality treated surface water supplies and can now replenish our underground aquifer in conformance with new State mandates and common sense. Carollo was the prime consultant, providing project management, design, and construction management, for the $180-million project.
“The successful completion of the Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility was a huge step in Fresno’s efforts to continue providing safe, clean, reliable drinking water,” said Michael Carbajal, Director of Public Utilities for the City of Fresno. “The new treatment facility improves the City’s water infrastructure to maximize use of surface water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and reduce pumping of groundwater from our aquifer. We are extremely excited to receive the ACEC 2019 Engineering Excellence Award recognizing this achievement.”
Honor Award winners also are eligible to enter the national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition and will have photographic panels on display at the Capitol, outside of the Governor’s office, in early 2019.
Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group received the Merit Award for its work on the Fulton Street Reconstruction Project. The Fulton Mall corridor was renovated by reintroducing a pedestrian-friendly commercial streetscape together with a narrow two-lane street with on-street parking. The project restored and relocated all of the significant public art and water features that make this corridor a virtual outdoor art museum. Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group was a subconsultant to RHAA Landscape Architecture on this project, providing project management, land surveying and civil engineering services.
“These two projects are among the most important infrastructure programs in Fresno’s history, and will be the framework for success in Fresno’s future,” said Mayor Lee Brand. “They have set the standard for every City project to come.”
“Engineering and land surveying provide the innovative backbone of many critical infrastructure projects in California,” said Brad Diede, Executive Director of ACEC California. “This year’s recipients represent outstanding achievement in seismic safety projects, sustainable transportation projects and recycled water programs, among many others. Our engineering and land surveying firms and their local agency and private sector partners continue to harness cutting-edge technologies so that projects are more sustainable and more effective at serving the people of California.”
About ACEC California’s Engineering Excellence Awards:
ACEC California’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes outstanding achievements in engineering and land surveying projects completed by California firms. Entries are accepted into one of 12 project categories: studies, research and consulting engineering services; building/technology systems; structural systems; surveying and mapping technology; environmental; waste and storm water; water resources; transportation; special projects; small projects; energy; and industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities.