MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT
Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia, PA
Schiller and Hersh has an ongoing, open contract with the Philadelphia Water Department.  In recent years, our firm has provided electrical engineering design services for multiple projects including substation and switchgear replacement at both fresh water distribution plants and waste water management plants.

Our firm is the prime professional for the preliminary design, final design and construction phase services for new 15kV backup generator that will serve the entire Baxter Water Treatment Plant.  The design includes new security walls, fencing, walk-in generator housing, and 15kV switchgear modifications and integration. 

The Baxter Water Treatment Plant treats an average of 160 million gallons a day from the Delaware River, providing water to almost 60% of Philadelphia. It also serves some parts of Lower Bucks County.

Preliminary design, final design, and construction phase services provided for new substations at the Baxter Water Treatment Plant.  The project included replacement of switchgear at the Filter building and replacement of all 15kV and 5kV medium voltage cabling throughout the entire plant.  It also includes new double-ended 2.4kV switchgear serving four 300 HP backwash pumps, and new 480V and 208V switchgear serving the entire Filter building.  This new switchgear line feeds the critical filter building processes.

The maximum shut-down time allotted for critical circuits was 15 minutes, therefore a complex construction phasing and sequencing set of plans and specifications was required. 

Preliminary design, final design, and construction phase services provided for new substations at the Baxter Water Treatment Plant.  The project included replacement of switchgear at the Pre-Treatment building, modifications to switchgear in the Filter building, and 15kV dual electrical service to the Intake building.  A new building was constructed to house the new switchgear line, which feeds the critical pre-treatment building processes. 

The design features new, combined double-ended 15kV & 480V switchgear that is over 40-feet long, and consists of six double-tier 15kV vacuum breakers, two 1500kVA cast coil transformers, and main-tie-main 480V low-voltage draw-out switchgear. 

The maximum shut-down time allotted for critical circuits was 15 minutes; therefore, a complex construction phasing and sequencing set of plans and specifications was required. 

Our firm is the prime professional for the preliminary design, final design and construction phase services for the replacement of all electrical 15kV, 2.4kV, 480V and 208V switchgear, panelboards, and feeders at the Belmont Water Treatment Plant.  In addition to the existing equipment replacement, a new 15kV generator is designed to backup the entire Belmont Water Treatment Plant. 

The Belmont Water Treatment Plant treats an average of 40 million gallons a day. The plant uses water from the Schuylkill River, which has a higher mineral content and is slightly harder than water from the Delaware River. The Belmont Plant opened in 1904 on the site where a pumping station had once stood in the late 1860s.  The Belmont and Queen Lane Plants provide about 40% of Philadelphia's population with water.

Schiller and Hersh was the prime professional for the preliminary design, final design and construction phase services for the replacement of influent 5kV, 700 HP pump controls at the Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant.  The project included replacement of the eddy current clutch controllers and power supplies for the three variable speed 700 HP pumps and replacement of all protective relaying for each of the six 700 HP pumps (three variable pumps and 3 constant speed pumps).  All monitoring and control of these pumps was integrated into the Plant-wide DCS (Digital Control System) system. 

The PWD Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant cleans 194 million gallons per day and was built as part of the city’s massive stream clean up in the early 1950s. Its expansion and renovation began in 1975 and continued through 1983 to meet more strict federal water pollution control laws. 

The PWD imposed strict construction phasing and sequencing requirements, which included a maximum of one variable and one constant speed pump that were allowed to be under control renovation at any one time.  The construction documents were designed to allow for the PWD imposed constraints in such a way that all testing and commissioning could occur during the course of normal plant operations.