Helix Electric Installs Prefabricated Electrical Building at Water Treatment Plant in Northern California

Helix Electric installed a prefabricated electrical building at the Orinda Water Treatment Plant. It will provide cleaner drinking water to more than 800,000 East Bay residents in both Contra Costa and Alameda counties in Northern California. The installation supports East Bay Municipal Utility District’s $267-million project to reduce disinfection byproducts in the water supply. Project partners include EBMUD and Flatiron Construction.

The company used seven trucks to deliver the prefabricated building, executing a tightly coordinated sequence over 48 hours. The building plays a crucial role in supporting the project, which integrates new ultraviolet disinfection and chlorine contact basin technology, enhancing water quality and reliability.

The disinfection process upgrades are critical as warming temperatures, increasing wildfires and larger storms have increased organic matter at the Orinda WTP’s water source. During the water treatment process, this organic matter makes contact with chlorine, allowing disinfection byproducts to form. By implementing the new technology, the system can minimize chlorine use in the process and, in return, reduce these byproducts.