How many man-hours does it take to design, permit, and provide construction management for a major wastewater 
treatment plant upgrade in mountainous Western Colorado? Beginning in 2009, SGM put over 28,000 hours into providing the City of Glenwood Springs with a state-of-the art, 2.34 MGD wastewater treatment facility, including a new lift station and force main at the old site at the confluence on Seventh Street, and a three mile-long sewer pipeline running out to the new plant in West Glenwood Springs. The old plant was corroded after 30 years of use, and struggled to remove ammonia before discharging into the Colorado River. The new plant actually discharges water that is cleaner than what is required by the state, contributing to the health of Colorado’s key waterway. The $33 million project, including construction and land acquisition, is the largest capital improvement project to date for Glenwood Springs, and is designed to manage the City’s wastewater treatment needs for many years to come.
A little side note: SGM co-founder Dean Gordon helped design the City’s WWTP in the late 70’s, and assisted in the design of the new version. His son Ryan, born the day of the grand opening of the old plant, apparently has water/wastewater engineering in his blood. He just recently relocated to Glenwood and joined SGM’s Water Services sector. Like father like son!
