SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. will construct the $215 million expansion of the Sioux Falls Regional Water Reclamation Plant. The first major expansion since the plant was built in the 1980s, the project is expected to increase the facility’s capacity by 50 percent — from 21 million to 30 million gallons per day — and enhance operational efficiencies to meet growing demand throughout the community and region. Completion is slated for 2025.
Plans call for the construction of a new three-story “headworks” building, where wastewater initially enters the treatment process; the installation of new generators and an extensive electrical system upgrade; installation of three additional aeration basins, where wastewater is treated by microbes; four “final clarifiers,” which are large circular pools where solids are separated from treated water; and the expansion of an area of the plant where water is treated with chlorine, including the addition of more storage tanks.
The project received funding through loans from the State Revolving Fund, a program that provides low-interest loans to water, wastewater and sewer projects. In addition to McCarthy, project partners include Carollo Engineers Inc. and locally based Henry Carlson Construction.
Sioux Falls and the surrounding area are experiencing tremendous population growth, requiring upgrades to critical infrastructure like the water plant, according to Mark Perry, wastewater superintendent for the City of Sioux Falls.