Project at a Glance

• Location: Nashville, TN

• Client: Metro Water Services

• Facility Type: Water Reclamation Facility

• Project Focus: Backup power generation to protect wastewater treatment operations during outages

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About the Project

Stansell is installing a new generator building at Metro Water Services' Central Water Reclamation Facility, housing five new 2,500 kW natural gas generators. This backup power system ensures the plant can continue treating wastewater even if utility power is lost, preventing untreated discharge into the Cumberland River during a natural disaster or power outage.

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Stansell's scope includes installing switchgear, MCCs, medium voltage transformers, distribution panelboards, safety switches, disconnects, security system, fire alarm, cable tray, conduit, medium voltage soft starts, and medium voltage cable, along with five medium voltage generators and one medium voltage switchgear.

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Key Features

• Five new 2,500 kW natural gas generators

• Two new medium voltage soft starts for blowers

• Pulling and terminating 15kV and 5kV cable

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Challenges:

The project site sits on an old landfill, meaning the ground is littered with glass, needles, and other debris, requiring strict PPE and safety practices throughout construction. Poor soil stability also required the general contractor to install micropiles under all the ductbanks.

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Solutions:

Stansell's team fabricated custom cable tray sleeves to meet the project's unique dimensions and requirements, and prefabricated 20-foot sections of ductbank to keep the schedule moving efficiently on site.

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Virtual Construction & Fabrication's Pivotal Role:

Stansell's Virtual Construction team led BIM coordination on the project, working directly with the general contractor and electrical engineers to plan the most efficient routing for conduits and equipment. The VCF team designed, modeled, and fabricated large duct bank sections and underground conduit stub-up racks for under-slab installation, using Revit and Navisworks for modeling, OpenSpace for 3D progress capture, and Trimble for precise field layout.

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When switchgear placement required exact clearance due to its size, the team combined Trimble data with real-world field measurements to lay it out accurately. When conduits needed relocation due to structural conditions, the field team used Trimble to coordinate new placements with VDC, confirming there'd be no structural interference, avoiding rework and additional cost.

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Achievements:

• Over 13,000 feet of conduit installed

• All underground duct banks installed and poured

• Over 5,600 hours worked without a lost-time incident

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Community Impact:

This project protects the health of the Cumberland River and the community that depends on it. By ensuring the Central Water Reclamation Facility can keep treating wastewater during outages or natural disasters, Stansell is helping prevent environmental harm at a critical point in Nashville's infrastructure.

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Wastewater treatment is easy to overlook, until something goes wrong. Projects like this reflect Stansell's broader commitment to building the infrastructure our communities depend on, work that often happens underground and out of sight, but protects public health and the environment every day.