EPA AWBERC Domestic Water Valve, Sanitary & Vent Line, and Hot Water System Replacement
AGENCY: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
LOCATION: Cincinnati, Ohio
SIZE: $1,655,524
PRIME: AACON General Contractors
AWARD DATE: September 2022
COMPLETED: December 2022
AACON General Contractors served as the Prime Contractor on this Firm-Fixed-Price Task Order for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 at the Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. The project required the replacement of multiple critical utility systems in an occupied federal research facility while maintaining full operational continuity and compliance with stringent EPA facility standards.
The scope included complete removal and replacement of domestic hot and cold-water shut-off valves, deteriorated sanitary waste and vent piping, and the facility’s steam-powered domestic hot water production system. AACON safely removed over 500 linear feet of aged cast iron sanitary and vent piping from vertical mechanical chases and replaced it with Schedule 40 PVC. Additionally, more than 220 linear feet of new Type L copper hot and cold-water lines with fiberglass insulation were installed, with pipe sizes ranging from 2" to 6". All penetrations were restored with approved firestopping materials.
In the mechanical room, AACON demolished the existing 750-gallon steam-heated storage tank, instantaneous steam heater, and three bronze recirculating pumps. Replacement equipment included a new domestic hot water system, DDC controls, thermostatic mixing valves, and associated appurtenances designed to modernize the system and improve operational reliability. All final finishes were restored, and commissioning and performance verification were completed prior to turnover.
A subsequent contract modification (Change Order #1) added approximately 75 linear feet of sanitary and vent piping replacement in the basement-level Mail Room B84 and Loading Dock. AACON incorporated this additional scope seamlessly without impacting the project’s overall schedule.
