When was the last time you drank a glass of water and felt sick? Or got out of the shower feeling unclean? Or flushed the toilet and it wasn’t exactly, um, out of sight/out of mind?

If you live in the United States, the answer is (hopefully) not recently.

We are lucky to have consistent access to some of the safest, cleanest water in the world; our uncontaminated waterways and reliable fresh water supply are luxuries many in the world will unfortunately never know. Thanks to regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and Clean Water Act, we are able to keep our water and wastewater systems separate, never giving second thought to turning on the tap.

Forsgren’s engineers work with all aspects of water and are dedicated to conserving and protecting this life-giving resource however possible. From our firm’s inception, we have worked with municipalities, special service districts, and private water companies to optimize water use and reuse. We know drinking water rules like the backs of our hands, and regularly assist with necessary state approvals and wastewater discharge permits. As Americans, we may take an icy glass of water or a relaxing bath for granted, but it doesn’t mean that they’re not miraculous feats given the challenges that face our nation’s water supply.

We at Forsgren help with that magic.

Drinking Water Systems

At Forsgren, we design comprehensive water systems that ensure that a region’s drinking water is safe, available, and free of contaminants. This starts with a Water Master Plan, which generally includes Water System Modeling that maintains 20 psi of water pressure, at minimum. Our engineers use the Master Plan to design wells and tanks that store a region’s water, treatment plants that clean and sterilize it, and pumping stations and distribution systems that provide it to the public for bathing, drinking, cooking – you name it. Throughout the design process, we search for ways to innovate and streamline our processes: conserving water and saving the client money whenever possible.

Potable Water Projects

construction workers installing a water pipe

On-Call Engineering Services: Golden State Water Company,

Rancho Cordova, California

Forsgren would be nowhere near where we are today without our dedication to building meaningful relationships with our clients. That includes being able to offer our services and expertise “at the drop of a hat,” as is the case with our relationship with the Golden State Water Company (GSWC). Our Rancho Cordova (Sacramento) division has enjoyed a longstanding partnership GSWC over the past seven years, building trust on both the engineering and operational sides thanks to honest communication, attention to cost and deadlines, and consistent results.

We have been privileged to support GSWC on a wide variety of water planning, design, and construction projects including:

  • Developing a Master Plan for updates of 18 water systems and construction cost estimates of 38 water systems
  • Construction management and operational support for a $9M meter retrofit project in Rancho Cordova
  • Engineering design for multiple pipeline projects
  • Providing full-time engineering support in their offices
  • And much more!
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Stratmoor Hills Water District – Centralized Water Treatment Plant, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Prior to 2016, the community of Stratmoor Hills solely relied on groundwater from three wells. When perfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) were detected in the wells, they were immediately shut down, requiring the community to outsource its water from a distant reservoir.

After the Stratmoor Hills Water District received funding from the Colorado Water Resources & Power Development Authority, they selected Forsgren to design a centralized water treatment facility for all three wells.

Forsgren’s facility was designed to remove PFAS and treat groundwater under the direct influence of surface water. This treatment includes cartridge filtration, ion exchange, ultraviolet disinfection, tablet chlorination, high-service pumps, disinfection contact tanks, instrumentation, and SCADA system. Our designs were completed on-schedule, but supply-chain delivery delays brought on by Covid-19 impacted the construction timeline.

The treatment facility was finally completed in 2022 and has been providing the community with up to 1 million gallons a day of clean, safe drinking water ever since!

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Airform Water Tank, Iona, Idaho

This project shows how thinking outside the box can yield great results – and save money! In 2018, Forsgren was commissioned by the City of Iona to design a 1 ML water storage tank to work in conjunction with their existing 0.5 ML tank. Our topographic survey showed that the proposed location was on too steep of slope, so our engineers proposed a nearby, less sloped (and less costly) build site. After close collaboration with the City and the Bureau of Land Management, we obtained Right-of-Way approval and were able to proceed with design on the new site.

Our innovative designs included an “airform” construction method, which uses inflatable forms in place of traditional form work and incorporated the used of shotcrete technology, which allows for homogeneous concrete placement. Cutting out traditional form work minimized labor hours and shortened the schedule, while opting for “airform” allowed for more efficient construction as its permanent enclosure protected the worksite from the elements. Ultimately, our suggested tank relocation and “airform” design saved the City over $500,000!

Wastewater Systems

It is impossible to have clean water without giving wastewater equal consideration. Just as we design systems to deliver clean drinking water, we design methods to dispose of wastewater, separating it from the clean water supply, and treating and sterilizing it for reuse. As with our water designs, we begin with a Wastewater Master Plan, which we adapt to address everything from normal, household wastewater to large-scale, industrial wastewater. From there, our engineers design collections systems, pumping stations, and treatment plants. When wastewater has been successfully treated, we complete the wastewater discharge permitting process so that the water can reenter our waterways, restarting the cycle.

Wastewater Projects

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Mesquite Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mesquite, Nevada

A star example of Forsgren’s commitment to efficient and safe water reuse is our work with the City of Mesquite, Nevada. Our engineers have been consistently helping Mesquite with its wastewater treatment since 1990 and recently teamed with Baker to design and construct a massive expansion of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. Our designs included thousands of feet of piping, an additional oxidation ditch, two secondary clarifiers, and the replacement of the existing existing-pressure UV system with a new, high-intensity/low pressure system, among other improvements. The project required a high level of coordination to keep the plant functional throughout design and construction.

This Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion project is unique in that its fully-automated solids wasting system uses suspended solids probes for a more consistent treatment process. It also includes an innovative LEED-certified operations building that reduces the City’s carbon footprint and cuts down maintenance costs! Thanks to Forsgren’s help over the years, the City of Mesquite has reused 100% of its wastewater for the past 13 years and has no plans on slowing down.

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Soda Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant, Soda Springs, Idaho

Forsgren’s reputation for cost-effective and innovative services was at the forefront of this challenging project, where we were selected to upgrade the city of Soda Spring’s existing wastewater treatment plan – after another contractor’s construction bid came in 193% over estimate! After evaluating several advanced wastewater treatment alternatives for secondary treatment to remove nitrogen and phosphorous, we prepared a Preliminary Engineering Report that described proposed capacity and design requirements, unit process components, component sizing, facility layouts, and construction phasing.

Once our recommendations were selected, we provided design and construction administration services, which included a headworks facility, secondary treatment process and clarifiers, tertiary filtration, UV disinfection, and multiple lift stations. Notably, our designs featured the first installation of cutting-edge STM Aerotor technology in the State of Idaho, which expedited the DEQ’s acceptance of our process recommendations and the overall project schedule. Although we inherited a challenging project, our detailed and objective value analysis, use of innovative technology, candid communication, and head-on approach led to this project being a huge success!

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Burley Wastewater Treatment Facility, Burley, Idaho

A problem facing many smaller communities is sudden growth that outpaces their infrastructure capacity. This was the case with the city of Burley, whose population and industrial boom required a massive overhaul of their wastewater treatment systems. The City also challenged by a new, low-discharge phosphorous and nitrogen limits in the Snake River, which their existing WWTP output could not meet. Forsgren’s engineers evaluated the City’s conditions and opted to replace the old treatment plant with a new mechanical, full biological nutrient removal plant.

Our designs included mesh band screens, grit removal, a BNR process system (with anaerobic, anoxic, and aerated zones), a fine bubble aeration system, multistage centrifugal blowers, secondary clarification, return and waste sludge pumping and piping, tertiary cloth media disk filters, a low pressure/high intensity UV disinfection system, two-stage aerobic digestion, a dual purpose gravity thickener/belt press system, and an indirect thermal sludge dryer. These improvements not only allowed the City of Burley to meet the strict nitrogen and phosphorous limits, they equipped it with a system that can support future generations.