Houston Waterworks Team: 2 Million Man-Hours with Zero Lost Time Accidents

HOUSTON—The Houston Waterworks Team (HWT), a joint venture of CDM Smith and Jacobs for the $1.77B Northeast Water Purification Plant Expansion (NEWPP) project, has passed the milestone of 2 million man-hours with zero lost time accidents. This milestone demonstrates that HWT is well-trained and well-structured to continue our proven safety performance to the 3 million man-hour mark and beyond.

More than one hundred HWT professionals have been working on site, first on the design and now the construction of the NEWPP Project, for more than four years. Five years remain until the Plant’s completion. It is the largest progressive design-build drinking water treatment plant project in the country. More than 700 people come to work with HWT on the NEWPP project site every day, and many more support the project from off-site offices.

In addition to an exemplary safety record, the Project is on-budget and on-time, all while maintaining excellent quality. This project will increase the City of Houston’s ability to provide reliable and safe drinking water by 320 million gallons per day. In addition, the NEWPP project is helping to reduce area subsidence by using surface water sources for drinking water production in lieu of groundwater sources. The team is determined to secure the drinking water supply for the Houston metro area for generations to come. 

This accomplishment is a testament to the team’s commitment to safety. Our health and safety (H&S) program is based on the principles that people are our greatest asset, accidents and injuries are preventable, and everyone is responsible for safety.

CDM Smith is a privately owned engineering and construction firm providing legendary client service and smart solutions in water, environment, transportation, energy and facilities. Passionate about our work and invested in each other, we are inspired to think and driven to solve the world’s environmental and infrastructure challenges.