Challenges of Planning a 40-Mile Regional Water Transmission Pipeline within a Rural Setting Brazosport Water Authority

The City of Rosenberg, Texas, and the Brazosport Water Authority (BWA) came together to define a $52 million contracting and capital cost sharing scenario to design and construct a 40-mi large diameter water transmission pipeline and pump station facility to transmit potable surface water to the City of Rosenberg. The cost sharing scenario creates a win/win situation for member BWA cities as they will realize stabilization in their water rates with the City of Rosenberg becoming a contracting partner. The pipeline also accommodates other potential future growth in the region. Subsequent to construction, the City of Rosenberg will be in compliance with subsidence mandates through 2025 and have a sustainable and economical alternative water source that provides them with a unique economic development advantage relative to water rates of surrounding communities. The water transmission line is in the preliminary engineering and design phase, and is anticipated to begin the bid phase early in 2017. This presentation will discuss the challenges faced when designing a regional pipeline within a rural setting spanning multiple cities and counties. In order to begin field work, and even though Texas is a right-to-survey state, BWA made the decision to be a good neighbor and obtain Right of Entry to the private properties in which the potential easement(s) exist. In order to do this, GIS software utilized the Brazoria and Ft. Bend County appraisal districts’ data to obtain property ownership information. Land agents had to coordinate right of entry with over 60 private land owners for access to complete easement survey, environmental survey (including wetland delineation and Phase 1 ESA), and geotechnical field work. The 60+ landowners have over 100 tracts of land, which does not include road crossings or public rights-of-way. Additionally, in order to finalize survey data and develop easement documents for initial offer letters, title agents had to obtain title commitments in rural areas that have not had land transfers in over 100+ years. This proved to be a challenge, especially when determining ownership along a previously abandoned railroad corridor that spans approximately 10 mi of the pipeline alignment. Additionally, in order to finalize the easement location, multiple meetings and an extensive coordination effort was necessary to appease various stakeholders. Multiple drainage districts, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, TxDOT, large land owners and numerous oil and gas companies had to be consulted to discuss and approve the exact location of the easement and pipeline within the easement. Much of the coordination effort led to slight route adjustments, which led to additional field work and coordination efforts along the 40-mi stretch. Once all the coordination meetings were held, survey data was complete, and both historical and environmental impact studies were finalized, CDM Smith will finally be able to begin the design phase of the regional pipeline project. Parallel to design right-of-way agents will be negotiating easement terms with land owners. By December 2016 the various packages are anticipated to be under TCEQ review and ready for advertisement for bidding. This presentation will discuss the challenges faced between developing a plan to implement a regional pipeline system and turning that plan in to a final design reality for the BWA.