O'Brien & Gere is assisting the Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection with the design and construction of upgrades to its aging 3.5 million gallons per day (MDG) Wetzel Road Wastewater Treatment Plant (to achieve average and peak capacities of 7.0/15.2 MGD) and replacement of the Sawmill Creek Pumping Station -- without disturbing wooded wetlands surrounding the sites. Tasks include doubling treatment capacity at the plant while complying with new, more stringent effluent requirements; designing new and upgraded facilities to fit the existing sites; and maintaining treatment operations and effluent water quality during construction. By combining the functions of new structures and reusing existing structures, O'Brien & Gere is able to reduce the number of originally planned major structures on site (from eleven to seven), developing a design that meets all the challenges and reduces construction costs.