At Con J. Franke Electric, we take pride in our ability to manage large, complex commercial electrical projects and our work on the San Jose Dewatering project is no exception. Located on Zanker Road in San Jose, this project is part of a transformative Capital Improvement Program (CIP) aimed at modernizing the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. With a CIP investment of $1.4 billion over 10 years, our electrical expertise helps ensure that this facility, which has served the community for over 65 years, remains efficient, sustainable, and compliant with new organic waste regulations.
Project Overview
The San Jose Dewatering project centers around upgrading the facility’s dewatering operations. The new Digested Sludge Dewatering Facility, a $164-million endeavor set to come online in 2025, will transition the plant from outdated open-air drying beds and lagoons to an enclosed mechanical process. This upgrade will free up 750 acres for alternative uses, reduce odors in the community, and help maintain clean waterways by treating over 100 million gallons of wastewater daily from 1.4 million residents and 17,000 businesses.
Con J. Franke Electric’s role includes electrical and infrastructure installations for three new buildings:
- A Truck Loading Building, where we are installing monitoring systems, scales with go-no-go indicators, access controls, and security systems for a complete drive-through operation.
- A dedicated Dewatering Facility that combines administrative offices with pump operations. Here, we are installing site security, access control, fire alarms, and are integrating the facility’s cyber connections with the existing plant. We are also upgrading the electrical system with new transformers and motor control centers (MCCs). This facility covers the gamut of every low-voltage electrical type.
- In the New Electrical Building, we are building upon the pipe rack of the existing facility, where we run conduit along the pipe rack and tie in underground wiring from the new facilities to the existing switchgear. This prefabricated electric room, delivered to the site and set on top of the pipe rack in the original building, serves as a critical hub for modernized electrical operations.
Our Approach and Team
Led by Project Manager Shanon Baker, Site General Foreman Joel Perez, and Site Foreman Dustin King, our team has been working diligently since September 2022. Along with Project Administrator Stephanie Garrido and PFL Manager Ryan Shatzer who oversees all underground electrical pre-planning, we average 12 to 15 Con J. Franke Electric team members on-site at any given time, with a total crew of 25 across the project. We also collaborate with three specialized subcontractors to ensure project momentum.
Overcoming Challenges
As with any complex project, this one has brought its fair share of challenges. Coordinating work across three separate sites – each with its own unique electrical and operational requirements – has required extensive planning and constant communication with the city, the general contractor, and our subcontractors. The intricate process of submitting Power Shut Down Requests (PSRs) and Power Energization Requests (PERs), each demanding review by 15 or more stakeholders, has tested our coordination skills, but we have remained on task and on deadline throughout.
We also encountered unexpected hurdles when pulling outside plant wire. With utilities set in ways we hadn’t anticipated, our team had to quickly get on-site, regroup, and re-engineer our approach to position the tuggers correctly, ensuring that our work stayed on schedule despite these setbacks. Additionally, managing a local crew with limited industrial experience necessitated extra time and direct leadership from our foreman, as we shared our specialized knowledge and maintained productivity.
Looking Ahead
Now, as we wrap up the rough-in phase and prepare to pull wire and begin commissioning, we are on track to start energizing the system by March 2025. Our goal is to have all the wiring tested by July 2025, marking a significant milestone in this ambitious project. With approximately 12% to 13% in change orders to date, our initiative-taking planning and ability to stay on top of all the details has kept us ahead of potential disruptions.
A Milestone in Modernization
This project is more than just an upgrade; it is a leap forward for one of the largest wastewater treatment plants on this side of the Mississippi. By integrating new systems into an existing, decades-old facility, we are not only improving efficiency and compliance, but we are also contributing to a cleaner environment and a more sustainable future for the region.
At Con J. Franke Electric, we embrace challenges with a spirit of innovation and teamwork. The San Jose Dewatering project stands as another testament to our commercial electric expertise and our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in industrial infrastructure upgrades. We look forward to powering the future of this landmark facility and making a lasting impact on the communities we serve.
