Black & Veatch Will Provide Study and Preliminary Design Services For St. Louis Metro Area CSO Control

Harlem-Baden Relief Tunnel project will focus on reduction of combined sewer overflows and mitigation of flooding and in north St. Louis

St. Louis, Mo. (Dec. 1, 2004) – Black & Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, announced today that the company has received notice to proceed with study and preliminary design of a solution to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and mitigate surface flooding within the Harlem and Baden watersheds. Under contract to the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, Black & Veatch will provide various study and engineering services for a proposed tunnel that will intercept stormwater runoff to relieve overloaded combined sewers and ultimately discharge stormwater directly to the Mississippi River.

“We selected the Black & Veatch team because that team demonstrated not only a clear understanding of local issues but also broad expertise in the areas of CSO control, tunneling and flood management,” said Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Director of Engineering Brian Hoelscher. “The Harlem- Baden project will be the district’s most visible project in the next decade, limiting chronic street flooding in north St. Louis and leading to a reduction of some of the city’s most significant combined sewer overflows to the Mississippi River.”

The project involves more than 100 individual drainage areas that comprise a 9,600-acre urban project area. The outcome of the project will be selection of preferred alignment and preliminary design of a major deep-rock tunnel, approximately 5 to 10 miles in length and 10 to 20 feet in diameter, and associated shafts to deliver stormwater to a new Mississippi River outlet works.

About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch Corporation is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in the fields of energy, water and information. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch serves its clients with conceptual and preliminary engineering services, engineering design, procurement, construction, financial management, asset management, information technology, environmental, security design and consulting, and management consulting services. The employee-owned company has more than 90 offices worldwide. Black & Veatch is ranked on the Forbes “500 Largest Private Companies in the U.S.” listing for 2004. The company’s Web site address is www.bv.com.

About the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District
The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District was formed in 1954 to serve the city of St. Louis and nearly all of St. Louis County, Mo. The district is responsible for the interception, collection and treatment of wastewater and for stormwater management of a service area of 524 square miles, serving 1.4 million people. The district operates and maintains over 8,900 miles of sewer, 267 pump stations and eight treatment facilities. It is a major contributor to the region’s quality of life, taking a leadership role in environmental protection. More information on the district’s operations and mission to improve the regional environment can be found at www.msd.st-louis.mo.us.

For more information, please contact:
Linda Heil
Communications Specialist
(913) 458-4629
Heilla@bv.com