Chesapeake, VA. MEB General Contractors has completed the largest EDR (Electrodialysis reversal) system in the United States, at the G. Robert House Jr. Water Treatment Plant in Suffolk. Internationally, Suffolk’s system is second only to a project currently in design for Barcelona, Spain. Additionally, the $46 million contract is the largest the City has awarded in its history. The project combines an expansion of the existing treatment plant, a new well source and a pipeline connecting the two.

Electrodialysis reversal is an electrochemical separation process that removes ions and other charged species from water and other fluids. EDR uses small quantities of electricity to remove ions from the water as they pass through the process membranes. The technology is extremely efficient, recovering 94% of water, reducing the burden on other water sources and minimizing waste disposal. Municipalities such as Suffolk find the technology successful for the removal of radium, arsenic and perchlorates as well as desalination of well waters.

MEB began work in January of 2007, and the project will be completed ahead of schedule in April of 2009. The total EDR flow is now 13.7 million gallons of water per day. MEB was awarded the project based on relevant experience and a competitively bid price. The entire project was completed while the existing facility operated 24/7, emphasizing the importance of interface between the city, the contractor and the on-site engineering staff to get the job done safely and on time. The City’s mission of ensuring that its delivery of potable water and collection of wastewater meets all State and Federal requirements is supported by this critical project, along with the following public interest factors:

• Capacity: The G. Robert House plant provides water for both the City of Suffolk and Isle of Wight County as part of the Western Tidewater Regional Water Authority. This expansion doubles the plant’s daily groundwater treatment capacity, and is designed and constructed to meet the area’s anticipated capacity through 2015.
• Safety: The new facility eliminates the use of toxic liquid chlorine, replacing it with sodium hypochlorite which is bought mixed with water. While liquid chlorine is a less expensive alternative, leaks continue to be a major concern for municipalities. The work completed by MEB changed the entire chemical process of the facility, eliminating chlorine chemicals altogether. Additionally, the EDR system reduces fluoride in the water to 1 milligram per liter, a necessary step due to the levels present in the raw well water source.
• Emergency Services: MEB’s scope of work also included the replacement of several small electrical feeds with one major Virginia Power feed and a new plant generator. This provides complete redundancy for both power and fire protection, eliminating obstacles and issues arising during natural disasters such as Hurricane Isabel.

“The nature of this project required a diverse background of design and construction management experience,” said Brian Williams, an MEB Vice President and Project Manager for the G. Robert House plant. “From laying 30,000 feet of 24-inch pipe to the new pump stations to construction of the project’s new EDR Membrane/Chemical/Maintenance building, many disciplines were involved. And given the plant operates continuously, working on a pipeline and chemical facility as part of an operating water treatment plant could cause any number of problems. Our team worked very closely with the City, its on-site staff, and our subcontractors to get the job done efficiently.”

MEB General Contractors is one of the most experienced and respected providers of construction services in the Hampton Roads region, the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the Mid-Atlantic. With over $160 million in annual revenue, MEB has a diverse construction portfolio that includes all types of commercial, industrial, government and heavy civil projects. MEB’s list of satisfied clients includes PHR Goldkey, S.L. Nusbaum Realty, Raytheon, Luna Innovations, Chartway Federal Credit Union, Smithfield Foods, Gwaltney, Phillip Morris, Caterpillar/Carter Machinery, Virginia Natural Gas and Blackhawk Products Group, as well as numerous state and local government agencies. MEB has offices in Chesapeake and Richmond.

For more information on MEB, call 757-487-5858 in Chesapeake, (804) 521-0730 in Richmond, or visit their web site at www.mebgc.com.