The Sioux Falls Water Reclamation Facility (SFWRF) Improvements and Expansion project has received the Eastern Chapter South Dakota Engineering Society Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award—an honor that recognizes engineering accomplishments demonstrating public service through originality and innovation, technical complexity, social significance, and economic impact.

The $215 million project stands among the most significant public infrastructure investments in South Dakota’s history, modernizing a 40-year-old facility while maintaining uninterrupted service for more than 200,000 regional customers.

Delivered using a Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMAR) integrated project delivery approach, the project relied on early contractor involvement to strengthen constructability, manage risk, and maintain tight cost and schedule control within an active treatment facility. The team executed more than 130 Maintenance of Plant Operations (MOPOs) and over 25 engineered process shutdowns, supported by detailed hydraulic modeling, custom engineering solutions, and precise coordination, to sustain permit compliance and protect critical assets throughout construction.

“HR Green provided Construction Observation for the project. This award reflects the discipline and teamwork it took to expand capacity while the plant kept running every day,” said Dawn Hull, HR Green Senior Project Manager – Water.

Within a highly constrained site, the project expanded average annual daily treatment capacity from 21 MGD to 30 MGD, constructed seven new process structures, upgraded or rehabilitated six existing facilities, and integrated a triple-redundant electrical distribution system to strengthen operational reliability. The structural program included 3.2 million pounds of reinforcing steel, 26,086 cubic yards of concrete, and more than 3,500 concrete test cylinders—supported by rigorous quality assurance and performance standards under demanding Midwest climate conditions.