OCWD Advanced Water Quality Assurance Laboratory

Location:

Fountain Valley, California

Value:

$24 million

Completion:

2009

Owner:

Orange County Water District

Photo Credit:

Greg Epstein

Butier provided constructability/design review, construction management, and inspection services for the new advanced water quality assurance laboratory, which is located on OCWD’s Fountain Valley campus. The two-story, steel-framed, 39,000-square foot sustainable (green) laboratory houses the personnel and equipment needed to do more than 350,000 analyses of approximately 18,000 water samples taken each year. This ensures the groundwater quality used by approximately 20 cities and other retail water agencies. The new water quality laboratory also supports the new water quality testing requirements for Orange County’s Groundwater Replenishment System, the largest water purification project of its kind in the world. Butier’s construction management responsibilities included the following:

• Preparing a written CM and procedures plan and communications manual
• Implementing and managing computerized data, reports, documents control, and various software programs for contract administration purposes
• Tracking and documenting submittal procedures, correspondence, RFIs, change orders, and potential change orders
• Reviewing drawings, specifications, cost estimates, and bidding documents
• Developing a Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan
• Scheduling weekly meetings and preparing and distributing meeting minutes
• Interfacing with OCWD on all issues affecting the nearby residents, businesses, government agencies, and other interest parties
• Coordinating field inspection and testing
• Managing/responding to all Contractor claims
• Providing monthly and final construction progress reports
• Reviewing and monitoring the Contractor’s CPM schedule
• Compiling and submitting operation and maintenance manuals
• Start-up, close-out, and acceptance services