In order to meet the burgeoning demands of its water utility customers, the City of Austin constructed a $14 million state of the art water treatment plant on Lake Travis. The plant was designed to treat 50 million gallons of water per day, with an expansion capability of 300 million gallons.
Commissioning – The Keys to Success are in the Details
Goodwin Engineering was hired as the commissioning agent for the project. Fundamental and Enhanced commissioning services were provided for the Administration and Maintenance buildings to ensure that the MEP systems were designed as required to meet the needs of the client and were installed as intended by the design engineer.
Commissioned systems included water source heat pumps, variable air volume terminal units, energy recovery wheels, exhaust fans, domestic water (integrated into the water source heat pump system), lighting, automatic controls.
Goodwin Engineering assisted the Owner in developing Owner’s Project Requirements, assisted the mechanical and electrical engineers in developing a Basis of Design, and developed a commissioning plan for use by the team throughout the project. Additionally, Goodwin conducted focused reviews at various stages of design, reviewed equipment submittals at the start of construction, and verified training requirements.
During the construction, Goodwin participated in equipment startup and conducted functional performance testing of HVAC equipment, solar power system, digital control system, domestic water heating, and lighting systems. At the conclusion of the project, Goodwin produced a commissioning report and followed up with a warranty review.
The Maintenance Building and Administration Building each received a US Green Building Services LEED NC Silver rating.