MONTROSE, Colorado — The City of Montrose today celebrated the groundbreaking of critical improvements to its existing wastewater treatment plant, marking a major investment in infrastructure that has protected public health and supported the community for more than four decades.

Originally commissioned in 1984 and expanded in 2009 to a permitted capacity of 4.32 million gallons per day (MGD), the city’s only wastewater treatment plant is operating well within its hydraulic capacity. However, aging infrastructure and anticipated future nutrient limits under Colorado Regulation 85 prompted the City to act now, before new limits are formally imposed.

“For more than four decades, the City of Montrose’s wastewater treatment plant has operated continuously, protecting public health and supporting the community’s growth,” says Bill Bell, city manager for the City of Montrose. “Nearly every household and business, from restaurants to manufacturers, depends on this infrastructure every day. These improvements represent an important investment in maintaining the reliability and performance of this essential plant.”

The roughly $30 million project focuses on modernizing critical treatment systems and enhancing nutrient removal performance within the existing plant.

Design began in January 2025, with construction beginning this month and project completion anticipated in Fall 2027.

Being delivered through a progressive design-build approach with Burns & McDonnell and Moltz Construction, the project enables early contractor engagement, cost and schedule confidence, and strong collaboration while construction advances in phases.

Key improvements include:

• Construction of a new anaerobic basin to provide dedicated biological phosphorus removal and support compliance with anticipated nutrient regulations.
• Replacement of aging influent screw pumps with submersible pumps to convey flow to the new anaerobic basin and improve operational reliability.
• Modifications to return activated sludge and waste activated sludge pumping systems to improve process control and operational flexibility.
• Replacement of oxidation ditch rotor aerators to improve reliability and maintain optimized treatment performance.
• Replacement of the UV disinfection system with a modern, self-cleaning system to improve reliability, reduce electrical consumption and maintain permit compliance.
• Installation of a higher-capacity emergency standby generator to strengthen resiliency during power outages.

The project is funded through revenue bonds, with repayment supported by wastewater system user fees rather than new taxes.

“We are proud to support the City of Montrose in delivering these important improvements to its wastewater treatment plant,” says Brian Knadle, operations director for Burns & McDonnell in the Mountain Region and design-build manager for the project. “By using a progressive design-build approach, the team has been able to collaborate early to streamline decision-making and advance critical upgrades efficiently.”

Adds Brent Topper, project manager, Moltz Construction: “Moltz Construction is proud to partner with the City of Montrose and our design-build teammates to deliver these essential improvements. Our team understands the importance of keeping this facility fully operational while upgrading critical systems, and we are committed to a collaborative approach that maintains reliability for the community throughout construction. We value the strong partnership driving this project forward and look forward to supporting the city in enhancing the long-term performance of its wastewater infrastructure.”

About City of Montrose

The City of Montrose, Colorado, is a municipality located in western Colorado and serves as the county seat of Montrose County. The city provides essential services to residents and businesses, including water, wastewater, public safety, transportation and community development. With a strong commitment to infrastructure investment, environmental stewardship and sustainable growth, Montrose continues to support a high quality of life while planning for the future needs of its community.

About Burns & McDonnell

Working from more than 75 offices around the world, Burns & McDonnell designs and builds critical infrastructure. Our family of companies — driven by engineers, construction professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists — delivers projects grounded in safety and a desire to make a difference as we make our clients successful. Founded in 1898, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned. Learn more.

About Moltz Construction

Moltz Construction, a Colorado-based heavy civil contractor, specializes in water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout the region. The company delivers construction services for municipal clients, with experience in treatment plant upgrades, pipeline installation and complex infrastructure improvements. Moltz is committed to quality, safety and collaborative project delivery.