Challenges Associated with the Construction of 40 Miles of Regional Water Transmission Pipeline and the Associated Pump Station Facility

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-mile large diameter water transmission pipeline and pump station facility to transmit potable surface water to the city of Rosenberg. The primary purposes of this project were: (1) to stabilize the water rates for BWA member cities; (2) to enhance the partnership between city of Rosenberg and BWA to address future growth in the region; (3) to enable city of Rosenberg be in compliance with subsidence mandates through 2025. Schedule was a significant driver for this project due to the city of Rosenberg’s surface water conversion compliance deadline. In order to meet the required schedule, the project was divided into 6 separate construction packages that could all be under construct at the same time. During the construction, in August 2017, Hurricane Harvey deposited historic amounts of rainfall (over 50 inches in some locations) over a large portion of southeast Texas. Very large sections of Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris Counties were flooded for weeks, a condition that raised groundwater to near-record levels region-wide. In addition, there were delays in contractor’s receiving pipe deliveries due to a local PVC manufacturing facility being down due to Harvey impacts. The pipeline alignment traverses a section of Texas with a long history of oil and gas resource development. Both Brazoria and Fort Bend Counties are crisscrossed by active and abandoned petroleum pipelines. Undocumented pipelines were encountered in several locations, requiring prompt redesign of the pipe profile and reconfiguration of air valve locations. Rapid development in the greater Houston area, particularly in Fort Bend County, also presented construction challenges. Areas contaminated by a petroleum product spill at some time in the past have also been encountered within project limits. Construction of the project is complete, and the water transmission line and pump station are currently operating. This paper will discuss the challenges faced when constructing and starting up 40 miles of water transmission and the associated pump station within 18 months.