August 2024
ENR New England names Nut Island Headworks Improvements Best Water/Environment Project of 2024
Norwood, Massachusetts - Engineering News-Record New England has recognized the Nut Island Headworks Odor Control Improvements Project with a Best Project Award in the Water/Environment category.
Built by Walsh Construction and designed by Hazen & Sawyer, the Quincy, Massachusetts project included the replacement and upgrade to the Nut Island Headworks Ventilation and Odor Control Facilities for the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA). Key components included installing four 55,000 CFM fans, rehabilitating three chemical wet scrubbers with new chemical metering pumps and tanks, replacing five steel carbon absorbers with 10 fiberglass carbon-containing tanks to treat odors and harmful gases, and installing 15 custom air handling units, 12 fans, and three new 9000 MBTU oil-fired boilers along with two new 20,000-gallon buried diesel tanks. Crews also installed new ductwork, removed and repaired an underground roof, installed roof hatches, replaced the emergency spillway isolation gates, installed a new egress stairway along with miscellaneous site work.
The upgraded facility will allow peak water flows up to 360 MGD, serving 21 MWRA South Shore communities. The project team also employed Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) throughout the facility to reduce electrical loads and running speeds of the equipment, decreasing the overall energy consumption.
