Columbus, OH – Dublin Road Water Treatment Plant UV Disinfection

This project added a new ultraviolet (UV) disinfection facility within an existing buried clearwell originally constructed in 1975. The work required a complex 30-foot-deep, 20-foot-wide, 160-foot-long excavation in a highly congested area, using jet grouting and driven piles for shoring while replacing a section of 72-inch prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP).

Maintaining uninterrupted plant production and effluent flow was critical throughout construction. Shook coordinated closely with plant operations, implementing numerous planned flow-path adjustments to keep the facility online while work progressed.

Major project components included:

• New UV disinfection facility within the existing clearwell
• Five 48-inch UV disinfection trains
• Five UV reactors, each weighing 12,000 pounds and measuring 16 feet long
• Gravity-fed filter effluent flow through the UV system
• Automated proprietary controls supplied and programmed by Xylem-WEDECO
• New chemical injection diffusers for finished water

Because the UV facility structure had to be fully complete before the reactors could be delivered and installed, the team carefully coordinated transportation, crane operations, handling equipment, and installation activities. The completed system treats an average flow of 57 MGD, with a maximum flow of 94 MGD, strengthening the City of Columbus’ water treatment capabilities while improving disinfection performance and chemical usage efficiency.