Water Management Planning Tool for the Southern Delivery System, Colorado Springs, CO

The Southern Delivery System (SDS) is a regional project to bring water from the Arkansas River to Colorado Springs, the City of Fountain, the Security Water District, and the Pueblo West Metropolitan District. Phase 1 of this two-phase project includes all of the components necessary to begin delivering water to the partner communities by April 2016. SDS Phase 1 construction commenced in 2010 with water delivery expected by April 2016. Core components include a reservoir connection at the North Outlet Works of Pueblo Dam, approximately 50 mi of predominately 66-in. diameter raw and treated water pipelines, three pump stations with a total of 26,750 horsepower, and a 50 million-gallons-per-day (mgd) water treatment plant and finished water pump station. Construction, commissioning, startup, and the ultimate operation of any large-scale water supply system, such as the SDS, warrants careful and thoughtful water planning. The SDS pipeline will require approximately 63 million gallons of water just for testing and initial filling. Conserving this valuable commodity is a key element to the successful implementation of the SDS. Throughout development of the SDS project, significant volumes of water are needed for construction to support activities such as dust control, earthwork compaction, hydrostatic testing of multiple pipeline sections, and operational needs ranging from initial filling of the system-wide pipeline and related facilities to long-term maintenance activities. To better manage and conserve the use of water for these purposes, MWH and Colorado Spring Utilities collaborated to develop a unique water management analytical tool. The SDS Water Management Tool evaluates and tracks water quantities needed to support filling, draining, and transferring water from one constructed pipeline section to another and manage water during planned maintenance activities such as filling, air management, operational head, operational flows, draining/dewatering, release and treatment of discharges, permit tracking, and reporting. Additionally, the SDS Water Management Tool will be linked to the SDS electronic operations and maintenance manual to assist operations staff in making operational decisions for the future. This paper provides background on the development, calibration, and implementation of the SDS Water Management Tool and describes the techniques used for sound management of construction and operational water for the SDS project.