Challenges and Solutions for Selecting an Optimal Water Main Route

Selecting an optimum route for a water transmission main is a challenging process that requires an in-depth analysis of many factors. These factors include political, financial, environmental, technical, regulatory, schedule, and many others. A developer approached Aqua Illinois (water utility) with a new development in the Village of Hawthorn Woods (Lake County, Illinois) that will require water to its future 600 homes. In order to serve the new development, Aqua would have to design and build a new transmission main that takes water from its Hawthorn Woods Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to the new development, Hawthorn Woods Country Club (HWCC). Since the developer was planning to sell homes by October 2004, water had to be in the pipeline by then, giving Aqua less than six months to complete the job. A detailed review of available routes was completed that included survey and field reconnaissance, discussions with regulatory agencies, hydraulic modeling, discussions with local agencies, cost estimates, constructability review, schedule impact review, environmental review, utility conflict review and others. This detailed analysis provided the utility (Aqua) with an optimal water transmission main route that had the least impact on cost and schedule and was most favorable when factoring all conditions. This resulted in a 16-inch ductile iron pipe water transmission main over one mile in length. This project was successfully completed on time under a tight schedule. This was accomplished using innovative approaches during the route selection and design of the project. This paper discusses the challenges and solutions faced during route selection and detailed project design.