SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT/ATLANTA, GA -- The joint venture partnership of PC Construction and H. J. Russell & Company announced that their work on the Atlanta Water Supply Program project received a national Build America Award from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America. The joint venture earned recognition in the New Utility Infrastructure category for the extensive project, which was completed in October 2020. Leaders from PC Construction and H. J. Russell & Company will accept the award at the AGC annual convention in September.
This is the fifth Build America award that PC Construction has earned over the past 15 years, and the second for Russell.
The Atlanta Water Supply Project, which was completed over five years with a total investment of $321 million, is the largest water supply project to-date in the State of Georgia. The construction-management-at-risk project will provide the City with a reliable supply of drinking water for the next 100 years, increasing the emergency raw water reserve from three days to more than 30 days.
The project began with the conversion of an existing 400-foot-deep rock quarry to a 2.4-billion-gallon raw water storage system. From there, the team used a tunnel boring machine to bore and install a 5.5-mile, 10-foot-diameter tunnel. That tunnel connected the quarry to two new pumping stations and 11 deep shafts, all of which will work together to ensure residents and businesses have access to clean, safe drinking water especially during drought conditions and emergencies.
According to the project representative for the City of Atlanta, “This project put our City in a position of strength and allows for a significant expansion of our water reserve. It has not only transformed our community’s water infrastructure, but also how we view the ultimate success of our utility construction projects.”
Jay Fayette, President and CEO of PC Construction said, “We are truly honored to receive this level of recognition for the role we played in constructing a safe and viable water supply future for one of America’s fastest growing cities. Working alongside the H. J. Russell & Company team, this project provided vast opportunities to partner with diverse subcontractors to grow their businesses and skillsets, while collaboratively completing the work safely and successfully for the City. We are especially proud that this project allowed us to deepen our commitment to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in profound ways, with incredible results.”
“We are proud to share the National AGC Build America award with PC Construction, our partner in one of the most consequential projects benefiting the residents of Atlanta, the city in which our company was founded,” said Michael B. Russell, CEO, H. J. Russell & Company. “The award-winning quality of the Atlanta Water Supply Program project we worked on together proves that when the right partnership is formed, we build a better community, and we build better together.”
The Build America awards honor AGC members who build the nation's most impressive construction projects ranging across the building, highway and transportation, utility infrastructure, and federal and heavy divisions. Honorees excel in the areas of state-of-the-art advancement, innovation, safety record, client service and environmental sensitivity.
