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City skyline view with cascading water fountain and lush trees in the foreground.City skyline view with cascading water fountain and lush trees in the foreground.

Building a resilient wastewater future 

To meet federal compliance and support future growth, Columbia partnered with CDM Smith to modernize its wastewater system through the Clean Water 2020 program. 

Client

City of Columbia

Location

Columbia, South Carolina

Connect with an expert

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Bryan Cully PE, PMP
Senior Civil Engineer

Rehabilitating Columbia’s wastewater system to strengthen resilience and reliability 

Columbia’s aging wastewater system could no longer handle the city’s rapid growth and frequent wet weather events. Partnering with CDM Smith, Columbia launched the Clean Water 2020 (CW2020) program to rehabilitate infrastructure, enhance operations, improve compliance and build a foundation for sustainable growth. 

Transforming asset management 

Tablet-based field assessments let the team capture data on 56 pump stations, 1,000+ miles of lines and 3,600 plant assets. 

Modernizing operations and systems 

CDM Smith helped integrate O&M software to link databases and budgeting tools for smarter maintenance. 

Strengthening cross-department synergy 

City departments collaborated through workshops to improve processes, training, management and operations. 

Enhancing community engagement 

Stakeholders and citizens contributed feedback on CW2020 initiatives, helping shape a responsive program. 

The quality of CW2020’s improve­ments are demon­strated daily. The program's modernized systems have improved wastewater reliability and reduced regulatory noncompliance. This, in turn, has resulted in increased operator engagement, improved and more resilient performance of the city’s wastewater treatment plant and excellent regulatory compliance. “CDM Smith’s contributions to the city’s program have helped us stronghold the city’s infrastructure,” said city manager Teresa Wilson. 

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Smarter infrastructure in action

See how Columbia is building a foundation for sustainable growth through its Clean Water program.

Curious to learn more?

Connect with an expert to find out how we delivered this project.

Cully_Bryan.jpg

Bryan Cully

Senior Civil Engineer

Brian has decades of experience delivering water and sewer projects, navigating permitting and building effective asset management programs.

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