Burns Modernizes Critical Infrastructure for Philadelphia Water Department

Burns is proud to announce the launch of a new project at the Philadelphia Water Department’s Baxter Water Treatment Facility. As the prime consultant under our on-call contract, our team has officially kicked off design efforts on a comprehensive transformer replacement and electrical system upgrade.

The current configuration includes 6 transformers serving administrative and operational buildings—some located indoors within the electrical room and others outdoors in a dedicated transformer yard. These transformers, organized in redundant pairs to provide backup power, are now being replaced with newer, more efficient units. As part of this effort, several units will be relocated to the exterior transformer yard, a move that improves system safety, maintainability, and future flexibility.

A key goal of the project is to increase resiliency and reduce potential downtime. Currently, if a transformer fails or power is lost, manual intervention is required to switch to a backup unit. The upgraded system will introduce automatic transfer capabilities, allowing seamless transition between units without human input—minimizing downtime and improving operational continuity.

In addition to transformer replacement, the project includes protective relay upgrades and related electrical equipment improvements, bringing the facility’s power infrastructure in line with modern performance and reliability standards.

Relocating all transformers to the yard not only simplifies maintenance and improves ventilation but also clears valuable space within the existing electrical room. This newly available interior space opens opportunities for future system expansions or additional upgrades.

Design completion is targeted for Summer 2026.