William C. McConnell III, PE, BCEE 

For over 30 years, Bill McConnell has dedicated himself to building better water reclamation facilities. “Achieving successful startup of a facility or system that I had a major role in developing is my favorite part of the job,” he says. “It’s very exciting and gratifying to see your work result in a well-functioning system that works as intended, resulting in happy clients and envi­ron­men­tal benefits.”

Bill is renowned for his work in planning, designing, advising, and starting up dozens of plants around the United States. He’s a leading expert in biological nutrient removal and is highly proficient in process simulation modeling. He has contributed to several industry publi­ca­tions and served as the Task Force Chair and contribut­ing author for the Water Environment Federation’s Manual of Practice No. 37 Operation of Nutrient Removal Facilities.

Bill has completed many notable projects during his career, but he will never forget his first. “I still think proudly of my first assignment as project manager and project engineer, for the successful planning, design, construc­tion and startup of the Brush Creek Water Pollution Control Facility upgrade project in Cranberry Township, Penn­syl­va­nia in 1999,” he says.

“CDM Smith is a place where the culture pushes you to challenge yourself and excel, and the firm is large and diverse enough to provide career-defining oppor­tu­ni­ties. Also–the people are really great,” he says.