CHARLESTON, SC — Recent work on Charleston sewer tunnels by consulting/engineering firm Black & Veatch and engineering/architectural design firm Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung, Inc. (HGBD) has received the 2009 Engineering Excellence Honor Award from an engineering organization in South Carolina.

The award was presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of South Carolina for design and construction management of Charleston Water System’s Sewer Tunnel Replacement Program, according to a recent press release from Kansas City, MO-based Black & Veatch.

In the accompanying photo courtesy of Black & Veatch,construction workers are installing pipe in a drop shaft as part of Charleston Water System’s Sewer Tunnel Replacement Program.

Under construction for nearly four years, the multi-phased, $123 million tunnel system is the backbone of Charleston’s wastewater collection system. It is the largest capital works program undertaken by Charleston Water System and is South Carolina’s largest sewer infrastructure project. The project was prompted by the Charleston Water System’s discovery of severe deterioration in existing sewer tunnels.

The award-winning fix features three tunnels constructed 120 feet below the streets of Charleston: the 12,000-foot-long Ashley River Sewer Tunnel, the 18,000-foot-long Cooper River Sewer Tunnel, and the 19,000-foot-long Daniel Island Extension Tunnel.

State-of-the-art design controls, construction techniques and materials were used for the tunnels, which convey wastewater to the Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant across the Ashley River, Black & Veatch said.

According to the press release, “Successful incorporation of the extensive tunnel system into culturally and historically significant urban areas presented special challenges for design and construction management of the three tunnels.”

To access the press release, click here.

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