LEAD-DEADWOOD
This cited plant is a water treatment plant located in Lead-Deadwood, South Dakota. It is included as another valid example of comparative value engineering by the principals of McLaughlin Water Engineers.
A 3.5 MGD treatment plant was final designed by another engineering firm. The low bid was $6.3 million. Due to the high cost, ownership and responsibility was transferred to the Lead-Deadwood Sanitary District. Because of the success of that District's 2.7 MGD wastewater treatment plant and collector system (designed by Ron McLaughlin 15 years previously), Ron McLaughlin was retained to redesign and build the new water treatment plant.
The redesigned water treatment plant was constructed on the same site, treating the same water to the same standards, at a 4.0 MGD capacity. The completed cost was less than $3.0 million - a savings of nearly half the cost of the first design - and without compromising quality.