D&B Engineers and Architects has recently received recognition for two landmark projects: Suffolk County Department of Public Works, NY’s “Clean Water for Carlls River” sanitary sewer project and Mohawk Valley Edge and Rome Community Brownfield Restoration Corporation’s “Former Rome Cable Site, Complex 3 (OU2), Brownfield Redevelopment Project (Cold Point Facility)” project. D&B received the Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) from the American Council of Engineering Companies New York (ACEC NY) during their 57th annual gala event at the Midtown Hilton on April 13, 2024.
“Clean Water for Carlls River” received a Diamond Engineering Excellence Award (EEA), the highest honor in the Waste and Storm Water Category. “Former Rome Cable Site, Complex 3 (OU2), Brownfield Redevelopment Project (Cold Point Facility)” won a Silver Engineering Excellence Award (EEA) in the Environmental Category.
In total, 124 projects were honored at the 57th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala. The Engineering Excellence Awards are presented to projects that encompass both the public and private sector in the following categories: studies, research, and consulting services; building/technology systems; structural systems; surveying and mapping technology; environmental; waste and storm water; water resources; transportation; energy; industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities; and special projects.
Steven A. Fangmann, President of D&B Engineers and Architects commented, “Receiving ACEC New York Engineering Excellence Awards is an honor. We are proud to win these awards on behalf of our clients, as both the Carlls River project and the City of Rome project represent engineering projects that will benefit the community for generations to come.”
Each year, over 50 member firms submit projects that are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation and value to society. These projects are judged by a panel of industry experts, which includes military and government officials, ACEC National and International leadership, educators from college and university engineering departments, and leadership from other organizations dedicated to the built environment. Awards are distributed based on the average scores received by these judges and are assigned one of four levels (in ascending order): Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
About “Clean Water for Carlls River”
The Carlls River project was authorized by Suffolk County Department of Public Works for the installation of sanitary sewers in residential communities on Long Island, New York including Deer Park, North Babylon, West Babylon and Wyandanch. The new sewer system replaced failing cesspools and septic systems that allowed an estimated 200 pounds of nitrogen per day to enter ground water and surface water including Carlls River, Sampawams Creek, Guggenheim Lake and Belmont Lake which discharge into the Great South Bay. The project aids in preserving coastal wetland ecosystems as increased nitrogen and other contaminants damage sensitive wetland areas, Long Island’s first line of defense in slowing wave action, ocean storm surge and flooding.
The project redirected sanitary waste from almost 2,300 private residences into the Bergen Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. A low-pressure sanitary sewer system with individual home Grinder Pump Units (GPUs) was implemented, presenting unique challenges including the need for the ‘government’ to perform work on private property. This required a communications program inclusive of a public-facing website, an informative newsletter to residents, direct mailings to residents educating about the program’s benefits of increased coastal resiliency, and many local meetings to inform the public and address homeowner concerns.
Unique engineering solutions were utilized such as trenchless construction methods that minimized disruption and damage to local roadways. This included horizontal directional drilling, pipe jacking methods, vibration monitoring, micro-tunneling under a busy parkway and ground freezing techniques. Overall, the project included installation of 150,000 linear feet of low-pressure sewer pipe, 2,300+ residential Grinder Pump Units (GPUs) to replace on-site cesspools and septic tanks that were ultimately abandoned, and a 48-inch extension to an existing reinforced concrete interceptor pipe connecting to the Bergen Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.
While the primary goal of the project was to provide generational environmental sustainability by protecting vital wetland areas, a secondary benefit was to make the watershed area more attractive to developers. This project transformed the Carlls River watershed area’s four villages from aging sprawl cases into attractive targets for investment and residential and mixed-use development, contributing to sustainable growth opportunities, while protecting the area’s wetlands from contamination.
About Former Rome Cable Site, Complex 3 (OU2), Brownfield Redevelopment Project (Cold Point Facility)”
Situated in the Mohawk Valley in central New York State, Rome, New York has been known as ‘The Copper City,’ a tribute to its role during the United States Industrial Revolution. For more than sixty years, the Rome Cable Corporation produced cable and electrical wire products and became the largest employer in the City of Rome. Upon closing in 2003, the Rome Cable Corporation left nearly 40 acres of industrial facilities. These became subject to years of neglect and environmental liabilities creating amplified blight in the shadows of an urban footprint, further depressing surrounding property values.
Through innovative remedial approaches along with the application of institutional and engineering controls established with the support and guidance of local and state regulatory agencies, a portion of the property went through a significant Brownfield restoration effort. This included construction of a 50,000 square foot advanced manufacturing facility (Cold Point Facility) that created jobs and tax revenues, and also produced social, environmental and aesthetic benefits for local residents and businesses. This undertaking represented a joint initiative of the City of Rome, the Oneida County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA), the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council (MVREDC), the Rome Community Brownfield Restoration Corporation (RCBRC) and the Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprises Corporation (MVEDGE).
This Brownfield redevelopment project was a complex endeavor that created positive outcomes for the environment, the economy, and society in the following ways: Improving environmental quality by reducing environmental impacts, protecting natural resources and enhancing biodiversity; boosting economic development by creating new jobs, revitalizing urban areas, increasing property values, generating tax revenues and attracting potential investors; and enhancing social well-being resulting from community engagement throughout all stages of redevelopment; improving quality of life, social inclusion and public safety.
About ACEC New York: ACEC New York is a proactive coalition of almost 300 firms representing every discipline of engineering related to the built environment—civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, geotechnical—and affiliated companies. Our shared goals are to further the business interests of our membership, enhance the quality and safety of the environment we live and work in, and help ensure the vitality of our communities. For more information, visit www.acecny.org.
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