Gresham Smith is proud to announce that South Cross Bayou AWRF’s new Headworks and Grit Removal Facility has been recognized by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Florida Region as a 2024 Honor Award recipient in the Water/Wastewater Category. Gresham Smith was selected as part of a design-build team with Garney Construction to provide improvements to the facility’s aging pretreatment infrastructure, significantly enhancing its operational efficiency.
“This recognition is a testament to the collaboration between Gresham Smith and our design team, Garney Construction and Pinellas County,” said Gresham Smith Senior Project Engineer Ben Luke. “By modernizing the headworks and grit removal systems, we not only improved the facility’s efficiency and performance but also ensured it can continue to serve the community for years to come.”
The project consolidated two influent components—the headworks and grit removal process—into a single headworks facility equipped with a new odor control system and a septage receiving station. The upgrades included flow metering and sampling, four fine-screening channels with band screens and washer/compactors, and three stacked-tray grit removal systems with associated grit pumping and classifiers. The facility is capable of treating an average of 66 million gallons per day (MGD) with bypass capabilities up to 120 MGD.
The Gresham Smith/Garney Construction design-build team maintained plant operations throughout the comprehensive project thanks to a carefully executed bypass sequencing and maintenance plan developed hand-in-hand with Pinellas County. The project also included effective community outreach to minimize disruption to residents, particularly given the facility’s location between two neighborhoods.
The leading-edge project ensures that the South Cross Bayou AWRF continues to deliver reliable and sustainable service to Pinellas County residents and businesses.
