Reading, PA
Fritz Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade
Wastewater treatment upgrade
Reading rebuilt major treatment systems at Fritz Island while continuing to treat the region’s wastewater. The work was phased so new treatment capacity could come online before crews completed the remaining construction. [2] [6]
- Treatment plant construction project [5]
- $148M
- City-reported plant design flow [1]
- 28.5M gal/day
- Residents served · 2022 [4]
- 114,667
- Precast pieces in the reactor [6]
- 603
Why it happened
The existing plant needed upgrades to comply with a consent order and stricter discharge requirements. It serves Reading and surrounding municipalities and discharges treated water to the Schuylkill River. [1] [2] [3]
What was built
The liquids work replaced trickling filters with activated-sludge treatment. It included a precast process reactor and four final clarifiers. The contractor put the first phase into service before completing the remaining clarifiers so the plant could keep treating wastewater. [2] [6]
What changed
The upgrade modernized both liquid treatment and solids handling on an operating site. The City reports a design flow of 28.5 million gallons per day for the plant and wastewater from 12 municipalities. EPA reports the served population separately in its 2022 facility dataset. [2] [1] [4]
Project team
- Owner and operator
- City of Reading [1]
- Treatment upgrade designer
- RK&K [2]
- Construction management
- Hazen and Sawyer is identified for the plant work in the precast case study. Hill International describes its role in the broader upgrade program. [6] [3]
- Precast reactor and final clarifiers
- Dutchland [6]
My role
I developed preliminary designs and bid drawings, prepared the estimate, and planned site logistics and material staging for the precast scope.
Project photos
Site location
See the treatment basins on Fritz Island and their setting along the Schuylkill River in Reading.
Project records
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City of Reading · Wastewater conveyance and treatment
Owner, design flow, and municipal service area.
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RK&K · Fritz Island treatment upgrade
Design scope, discharge requirements, and changes to the treatment process.
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Hill International · Upgrade program
Broader program scope, including conveyance work and construction management.
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EPA · 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey
Residential population reported for the treatment facility in the 2022 Clean Watersheds Needs Survey. View facility survey data (JSON)
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EFCO · Fritz Island construction
Treatment plant construction project value and contractor.
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Dutchland · Precast reactor and clarifiers
Phasing, precast scope, and reactor piece count.