The Warren County Water & Sewer Department engaged B&N to improve the capacity and reliability of a critical sanitary sewer conveyance system serving Hamilton and Deerfield Townships. The project supports continued residential growth while addressing aging infrastructure and environmental constraints associated with the Little Miami River corridor.
The Bear Run Lift Station conveys flow across the Little Miami River via a force main mounted on an existing bridge before discharging to the Fosters Lift Station and ultimately the Lower Little Miami Wastewater Treatment Plant. As system demands increased, Warren County evaluated long-term conveyance solutions to ensure reliable service while minimizing environmental impacts.
Planning and Delivery Approach
B&N served as the prime consultant, providing planning, design, permitting, bidding support and services during construction. The County utilized a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method, allowing early contractor involvement to support constructability reviews, cost estimating, evaluation of means and methods and development of cost-effective alternatives.
Evaluation of Alternatives
B&N evaluated multiple conveyance options, including elimination of the Bear Run Lift Station through construction of a new 42-inch gravity sewer beneath the Little Miami River. Alternatives analyzed included:
- Open-cut construction
- Jack-and-bore methods
- Microtunneling
- Use of existing river crossings
- Crossings of streams, roadways and bike trails
Coordination with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service determined that the environmental impacts associated with river crossing alternatives were too significant, prompting additional evaluation.
Final Improvements and Innovations
The selected solution focused on upgrading existing infrastructure to improve reliability and capacity. Improvements included increasing the Bear Run Lift Station capacity to 19.5 million gallons per day and the Fosters Lift Station capacity to 23 million gallons per day, along with pump replacements and additions, force main and gravity sewer upgrades, lift station piping modifications and associated structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls improvements.
Innovative tools were applied throughout design, including InfraWorks modeling to visualize underground utilities, drone surveys to evaluate environmentally sensitive alignments, and 3D laser scanning to document existing conditions. Design was completed in 2025, and the project has advanced into construction.