DC Water Embraced

Alternative

Delivery…

And Now There Are

Lessons Learned

Diala Dandach, Supervisor, Program Management, DC Water Department of Engineering Services and Technical Services,

April 2015

Agenda

Background on DC Water’s Biosolids Program

Why DC Water Embraced Alternative Delivery

Lessons Learned to Date with More to Come

2

Background

370 MGD (ADWF Capacity) >1B hydraulic capacity

550 MG primary treatment

Total Nitrogen Old 7.5 mg/l

New 4.2 mg/l

Phosphorus to .18 mg/l

3

Background

Solids Processing of Three Different Sludges

Gravity Thickeners(Primary Sludge)

DAFT Bldg.(Biological Sludge)

Centrifuge Dewatering

Class B Cake Loadout

Lime

Biosolids Program Site

4

Background

Until recently, DC Water:

Collected and blended

primary, secondary, and

nite/denite sludges

Added lime

Thoroughly mixed

Dewatered with centrifuges

Hauled away to farmland

5

Background

Residual disposal a major

DC Water operation:

Lime stabilized class B

sludge

1200 wet tons/day

65, 20 yd3 trucks per day

6

Four Components and Three Delivery Methods

Dewatering

Lime

Store &

Loadout

Class B

DAFTs

Mix

R

R

Screening and

Pre-DewateringBelt Filter

Presses

Recycle

Processing

R

LoadoutCambi™ THP

Steam Biogas

Biogas Treatment and

CHP

Emissions

Mesophilic

Anaerobic

Digestion

Class A

Power

R

R

Gravity

Thickeners

Blend

Tank

Site

Preparation

Main Process

TrainDesign-Build

Combined Heat &

PowerDesign-Build-Operate

Site PrepDesign-Build-Build

Final

DewateringDesign-Build-

Build

Background

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Background

The 2008 Biosolids Management Plan update identified Thermal

Hydrolysis Process(THP) with digestion as the most effective

solution for biosolids management at DC Water. Its benefits were:

Hedge against Class B biosolids land application restrictions

Hedge against electricity cost uncertainty using a combined heat

and power system

Benefit from a 50% reduction in quantity of biosolids production and

disposal costs

Generate Class A biosolids (increases diversity of product use)

Avoid costly upgrades to the existing lime stabilization process

8

Background

Five projects were developed

Project Name Procurement

Method

Construction

Bid Cost

Percent

Complete

Site Preparation DBB $5.4 million 100

MPT DB $206 million 99

CHP DBO $82 million 97

FDF 1 C DBB $7 million 100

FDF 2 C DBB $78 million 98

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Main Process Train

Project Highlights

Blended Sludge mixing

Pre-dewatering to 15%-18%

4-train thermal hydrolysis

system

4, 3.8 mg mesophilic

digesters

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Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

Project Highlights

Gas pressurization

Gas treatment including

siloxane removal

3 gas turbines

Auxiliary boiler

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Final Dewatering

Project Highlights

16, 2-meter belt filter

presses

Polymer addition

Dedicated cake bins (solids

approximately 30+%)

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Why Did DC

Water Embrace

Alternative

Delivery

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Why Did DC Water Embrace AD?

Best value selection of contractors

Price certainty at an early phase for budget

management

Process performance guarantees

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Why Did DC Water Embrace AD?

Best Value selection of contractor:

DB allows for a qualification step to select the

best team: designer and contractor

2-step process that still allows for competitive

pricing amongst the best shortlisted teams in

addition to a technical evaluation based on

points at the RFP stage

15

Why Did DC Water Embrace AD?

Price certainty at early stage:

In DBB, price is only known after Design is

100% complete

In DB, price is known after selection at early

stage of design.

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Why Did DC Water Embrace AD?

Process performance guarantees:

In DBB, although designers are responsible,

performance liability is a grey area due to a

third part contractor. Usually a dispute topic.

In DB, one team means one responsible party

for the performance of the process.

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Why DC Water embraced AD?

Why DBO:

Operating a power generation plant is not an

are of experience

Power production and savings guarantees

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Lessons Learned

Divided by Project Stage:

Overall

Planning

Procurement

Design Phase

Construction

Startup and Commissioning

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Lessons Learned – Overall

1. Educate all stakeholders at all levels on Alternative Delivery and how it

differs from DBB.

2. Develop a roles and responsibility matrix early for the Owner, the

consultants (PM, CM) and the Design-Builder

3. Develop a clear communication protocol for all phases of the work and

assign Points of Contacts between the Owner’s representatives and the

Design-Builder

4. The Design-Builder team structure is important when selecting and

qualifying teams

5. Customize your procurement process and documents to the internal

needs: level of prescriptivism was and remains an internal debate

6. It will take time and effort to successfully plan, prepare and implement a

new delivery method

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Lessons Learned – Planning

1. Be realistic about the procurement schedule and be

mindful of not cutting into the contractor’s schedule

2. Where possible mitigate risks that may adversely

impact schedule and budget (i.e.. perform geotechnical

study early, site survey, hazardous waste)

3. Define project objectives and performance guarantees

and get concurrence from the team

4. Define desired level of prescriptiveness early and level

of control owner wants over the project

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Lessons Learned – Procurement Phase

1. DC Water found the Technical Alternate/Preliminary

Technical Proposal process better than requesting variations

through RFIs

2. Proprietary meetings allow for clarification for both sides.

Documentation of meetings, questions, answers is important

and when appropriate, include an amendment to RFP.

3. Avoid catch all statements in contract - be clear in the

requirements

4. Mandatory requirements must be clear and be consistent

with the desired level of prescriptiveness

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Lessons Learned – Negotiation Phase

1. Develop conformed bridging documents that

incorporate contract negotiations, amendments, and

accepted alternatives. Plan for time and resources to

complete.

2. Owner must be notified in writing by DB for any

changes to the bridging documents.

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Lessons Learned During DB

Design Phase

1. Schedule needs to allow adequate time for review

2. Require and implement a strong QA/QC plan

3. Allow time for addressing issues and closing them. Do it in a

timely manner.

4. Implement a issues resolution process in order to solve the

issues at the appropriate level with a clear escalation process

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Lessons Learned During DB

Construction Phase

1. Transition of roles from design phase to construction phase

for reviews needs to be addressed.

2. Design submittals in the construction phase proved to be an

issue and should be expected on a DB type contract

3. Changes after Final Design Drawings are approved must be

identified to the owner

4. Named manufacturers might take exception to certain

specifications: ensure in the RFP that named manufacturers

(if any) can meet the specifications required• This goes back to the level of prescriptivism

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Conclusions

Establish your goals and success criteria

Educate the team and include all stake

holders including consultants

Pick the best team

Partnering at executive levels and project

level at all phases

Try and get ahead of issues

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QuestionsQuestions?

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