C3M is Powering the North Potomac Yard Pump Station Project

The North Potomac Yard Pump Station project in Alexandria, Virginia, has brought together C3M Power Systems, Clark Foundations, and Clark Water to construct a 7,800-square-foot sanitary wastewater pump station. The facility will support Virginia Tech’s new Innovation Station campus, conveying the flow to the Alexandria Renew Enterprises wastewater treatment plant. 

The jobsite and teams aren’t big, but they’ve persisted against outsized challenges. The hole the crew has worked in is deep – 45 feet total and 18 feet below the water table. It’s surrounded by slopes and sits less than a mile from the Potomac River. The site’s location, in combination with soil and weather conditions, was responsible for water continually seeping into the areas where teams had been working. 

The biggest challenge for C3M so far has been maintaining temporary power for the dewatering pumps, jobsite trailers, and equipment for the duration of the project. In the winter, Clark Water brought in C3M to add wiring for the additional sumps and pumps they determined were necessary to control where water in the excavation pit was going. A large roll-up generator and 1,250 gallon fuel tank provide 24/7 power to prevent pump failure. 

As part of the vertical construction efforts, C3M’s scope of work includes installing modern LED lighting both inside and out of the facility as well as a service-rated breaker and motor control center to power all building equipment and systems. The C3M team coordinated with other trades via 3D modeling to install all feeders and branch circuit pathways to equipment, lighting, instrumentation, and controls. 

Once final construction is complete, the C3M team will install a new 562 kVA 277/480V generator with an automatic transfer switch that can provide backup power in the event of a power disruption. They will also work directly with manufacturers and other trades to complete testing and commissioning of all building systems.

C3M is scheduled to reach substantial completion in the summer of 2023. Clark Foundations reached substantial completion last summer, and Clark Water is scheduled to finish below-grade construction by the end of summer 2022.