Burns & McDonnell Delivers Membrane Bioreactor Facility in Missouri

Contractor Burns & McDonnell completed an upgrade to the municipal water reclamation facility in Republic, Missouri, delivering the state's largest membrane bioreactor system. According to the firm's announcement, the expansion increases treatment capacity to 5 million gallons per day. The facility upgrade forms part of a broader $145 million wastewater capital improvement program that includes peak wet weather improvements and three collection system projects. The project utilized a progressive design-build delivery model, where the project team applied value engineering to align costs with the municipal budget when initial estimates exceeded targets.

Key takeaways

• Burns & McDonnell completed upgrades at Republic's water reclamation plant, increasing capacity to 5 million gallons per day.
• The facility features Missouri's largest membrane bioreactor system, delivered under a progressive design-build framework.
• When initial estimates exceeded the budget, the project team used value engineering to reduce costs while meeting treatment goals.
• The project forms part of Republic's $145 million wastewater infrastructure program funded by direct allocations, state loans, and revenue bonds.