Freeport Adds Capacity Without Disrupting Service

A new steel concentric wastewater treatment plant expanded capacity while supporting a controlled transition from the legacy system

Freeport is a Gulf Coast community shaped by its waterfront, its industry, and the infrastructure that supports both. When the city of Freeport, Texas, set out to upgrade its wastewater treatment capacity, the need was straightforward: deliver a new plant that could enhance long-term reliability while maintaining service throughout the transition.

AUC Group designed a parallel build, constructing a new steel concentric wastewater treatment plant capable of 1.6 million gallons (6 million liters) per day next to the existing facility, using its concentric-circle configuration paired with a conventional activated sludge process. That layout allowed the city to keep the legacy plant operating during construction, reducing disruption and enabling a controlled transition once the new facility reached stable performance.

A Larger, More Complex Installation

The Freeport project carried added significance for AUC beyond its size. It marked the company’s first installation since acquiring WAWCON and bringing expanded clarifier capabilities into field execution. It also included the largest clarifier AUC had installed to date: an 80-foot clarifier inside a 130-foot concentric chamber.

Those milestones introduced new technical demands across both design and field execution.

That scale raised the stakes for foundation loading, field fit-up, alignment, lift planning, and installation sequencing. On a site where crews were coordinating access, staging, safety, and tie-in planning beside an operating plant, the work required disciplined execution from assembly through installation.

Solving a Foundation Problem Before It Became a Liability

The most serious challenge emerged during construction, when a subgrade geotechnical study identified a critical issue with the foundation system. Helical piles were shallower than expected and could not provide the load-bearing capacity required for the wastewater treatment plant foundation.

That discovery introduced both structural risk and schedule pressure. Because it affected the plant’s long-term support system, it could not be treated as a field workaround. The issue required a correction that restored full design integrity before construction could proceed.

AUC resolved the issue by driving the helical piles deeper until they met the required criteria. That restored the foundation to the intended design basis, reduced structural risk for the concentric units and the large clarifier loads, and gave the project team and the owner a green light to proceed. The adjustment added roughly six months to the schedule, but it protected the integrity and reliability expectations associated with a municipal wastewater plant of this scale.

Why the Project Mattered

Freeport shows what AUC’s delivery model looks like when a project combines operational sensitivity, construction complexity, and a meaningful engineering milestone. AUC delivered the new 1.6 MGD steel concentric wastewater treatment plant while maintaining a parallel-plant strategy. That allowed the city to maintain treatment operations during the build and prepare for a controlled transition afterward.

The job also expanded AUC’s capabilities in two important ways. It was the company’s first project to put WAWCON clarifier capabilities into practice, and it pushed clarifier scale further than any previous AUC installation. Just as important, it demonstrated the discipline required to identify and correct a major subgrade risk before it could compromise long-term performance.

For municipalities planning upgrades, the project stands as a grounded example of how AUC can execute complex wastewater work in phases, and adapt delivery models—such as its Lease Plant Program or wholesale delivery structures—when project conditions require flexibility in timing or capital planning.

The result is straightforward: a new plant for Freeport, built for full capacity, positioned for cutover, and supported by a foundation system designed to carry the load for the long haul.

Need to expand wastewater capacity without disrupting service? Contact AUC to discuss phased treatment strategies and flexible delivery options.