Supporting Military Preparedness at Camp Pendleton

Utility operations at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton—the U.S. Marine Corps’ prime amphibious training base with 17 miles of coastline—were strained by aging infrastructure. In response, we joined a unique partnership with the Corps and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest to design, build, operate and maintain a program to enhance overall water and wastewater system operations and reliability. This ongoing $260 million program, which also included new recycled water systems, delivered flexible, reliable, safe and easy-to-operate facilities that achieve rigorous compliance objectives and create a cleaner coastal environment.

The program's cornerstone is the 5-million-gallon-per-day Southern Region tertiary treatment plant that consolidates wastewater treatment from outdated sewage treatment facilities. Delivered through a fast-track design-build process, this state-of-the-art plant uses sequencing batch reactor technology—uniquely combining performance, flexibility and compactness—to meet flow variations, apply best technologies for nutrient removal, and reclaim effluent for base reuse. The plant has successfully met stringent state and federal compliance limits.

We are continuing to support infrastructure rehabilitation on the base through program management, as well as design, construction and operations services for over 20 projects, including new water supply and treatment facilities, wastewater conveyance systems, and a distribution network that supplies reclaimed water for irrigation and groundwater recharge.

The program is challenged by significant environmental and procedural site restrictions and the need to balance technical and schedule priorities, making creative decision-making and partnering essential. Effective project team cooperation has allowed us to understand and meet stakeholder interests while protecting the base’s endangered species and sensitive habitats.