From Waste to Water: IWS Delivers Sustainable On-Site Treatment for Arizona’s LEED Gold Campus

The integration of advanced water management is a cornerstone of sustainability for modern educational facilities. Integrated Water Services (IWS) recently partnered with Lloyd Construction to design and build a state-of-the-art decentralized wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for the shared campus of Andrada Polytechnic and Pantano High Schools near Tucson, Arizona. This critical infrastructure component not only addresses the wastewater needs of the two distinct institutions but also plays a vital role in the campus’s pursuit of LEED Gold Certification by enabling water reuse for subsurface irrigation, positioning the campus as a leader in educational sustainability.Ch Challenges Faced

Challenges Faced

• Shared Infrastructure Requirement: The project necessitated a single, efficient wastewater solution to serve two distinct high schools (Andrada Polytechnic and Pantano) located within 500 feet of each other, requiring careful planning to manage variable flows.
• Capacity Planning for Growth: The system had to be sized not only for the current student population of 800 (600 at Andrada, 200 at Pantano) but also to accommodate the anticipated growth of Andrada Polytechnic High School to 1,100 students.
• LEED Gold and Sustainability Mandates: The WWTP was an integral part of a larger sustainable campus project, which also included a 1 MW photovoltaic system, requiring the treatment system to meet stringent standards for water quality suitable for reuse.
• Aggressive Construction Timeline: The entire field effort, including start-up and system sign-off, had to be completed within a tight three-month window to ensure the system was fully operational before the schools opened their campus to students.

Solutions Implemented

• Turn-Key Treatment System Construction: IWS provided full design-build services, delivering a complete wastewater treatment system package.
• Advanced Treatment System Components: The installed infrastructure included two 40,000-gallon primary tanks, a 25,000-gallon recirculation tank, a 12,000-gallon dosing tank, and eight AX-100 pods to facilitate high-quality treatment.
• Water Reuse System Integration: The final effluent is managed by a network of two flow meters and 9,000 linear feet of Geoflow line specifically designed to support subsurface irrigation across the campus, fulfilling the water reuse goal.
• Effective Project Management and Collaboration: IWS maintained close coordination with the General Contractor, Lloyd Construction Company, ensuring the complex project scope was executed efficiently to meet the ambitious project deadline.

Impacts and Outcomes

• Achieved Critical Water Reuse Goal: The project successfully implemented a system that treats wastewater to a high standard, enabling its reuse for non-potable needs and significantly reducing the campus’s reliance on external water sources.
• Supported LEED Gold Certification: By closing the water loop and integrating with a 1 MW solar energy system, the WWTP contributes significantly to the campus’s overall sustainability profile and its path toward LEED Gold Certification.
• On-Time Project Delivery: IWS completed the three-month field effort, start-up, and system sign-off before the official school opening, meeting the critical project schedule and ensuring smooth operations for the client.
• Exceptional Client Satisfaction: The General Contractor, Lloyd Construction, expressed high satisfaction with IWS’s professionalism and collaboration, noting, “We would welcome the opportunity to work together with IWS on future projects.”

The successful construction of the on-site wastewater treatment plant by IWS for Andrada Polytechnic and Pantano High Schools stands as a testament to efficient, sustainable infrastructure delivery. By providing a scalable, turn-key system capable of treating wastewater for reuse in subsurface irrigation, IWS played a fundamental role in the campus’s sustainable design and LEED Gold pursuit. The project’s success, achieved through close collaboration with Lloyd Construction and completed precisely on schedule, resulted in a high-quality, long-term solution that provides the dual benefit of accommodating student growth while conserving valuable water resources in the Arizona desert.