Barge Selected to Design New Water Reclamation Facility for Columbus Water Works

The largest water infrastructure investment in Columbus, Georgia, history is set to serve the community for future generations.

Barge has been selected to continue its work with Columbus Water Works (CWW) as the prime engineering consultant on its new South Columbus Water Reclamation Facility, the largest water infrastructure investment in the utility's history.  

The existing facility in Columbus, Georgia, operates at nearly 90% of its treatment capacity and is projected to exceed its limits within the next decade. The facility also faces aging infrastructure, outdated treatment technology, and anticipated stricter phosphorus limits from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) that cannot be met with current systems.

The solution is a complete replacement facility with a permitted capacity of 65 million gallons maximum month flow, enough to serve the region for decades. This will incorporate advanced treatment technology to meet current and future regulatory requirements.

Columbus is Georgia’s second-most populated city and is home to Fort Benning, one of the nation’s largest U.S. Army installations. Reliable water infrastructure is critical to both community and national security operations.  

Barge is leading all aspects of project design, building on our previous award-winning work with CWW. The work includes coordination with the Georgia EPD and development of the conceptual plan for the new facility.

Serving as prime consultant, Barge has strategically partnered with Hazen and Sawyer and Freese and Nichols to form an integrated design team, combining complementary expertise to successfully deliver this complex project. Design is expected to conclude in late 2027, with construction completed by the end of 2031.

This project’s impact will be significant for the greater Columbus region, including:

Environmental Stewardship: Advanced treatment technology will produce significantly cleaner water for downstream communities, protecting the Chattahoochee River, Columbus’s most important natural asset.

Economic Growth: Increase treatment capacity will remove a major constraint on regional economic development, allowing the utility to serve new businesses and accommodate flows from companies that seek service availability.  

Local Economic Benefits: The $600-700 million construction project will generate economic activity through contractor spending and create employment opportunities for local workers. Emphasis on engaging local small businesses and certified minority-, women- and disadvantaged-owned business enterprises (MBE/WBE/DBE).

Barge is honored to support CWW on this milestone project that will serve the Columbus community for generations to come.

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