Kennedy Newton Main and the Challenges of Design and Construction of Large Diameter Watermains in Urban Areas

Metro Vancouver is the regional water supplier for the greater Vancouver area [British Columbia (BC), Canada], responsible for providing drinking water to 2.5 million residents. Regional growth, and resilience and maintenance needs, in the next decade require over 90 km of new, large–diameter watermains, with many likely to be constructed in a highly urbanized environment. Metro Vancouver’s Kennedy Newton and Annacis Main No. 5 South project involves the design and construction of 11 km of 1,829-mm-diameter, welded steel transmission main. The watermain will connect the proposed 3.5-m Annacis Tunnel Crossing South Shaft to Kennedy Park and Newton Reservoirs. Most of the pipeline alignment is inside a road right-of-way and runs through residential areas, business corridors, and arterial roads. Challenges (and opportunities) are associated with designing large watermains in urban areas. This paper presents a case study of the challenges as they relate to Owner, Engineer, and Project stakeholders. It also describes the solutions that allowed completion and acceptance of the design by internal and external stakeholders.