Construction of 10-Year Transmission Main: San Antonio Water System’s Water Resources Integration Program—Phase 2

San Antonio, Texas, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. To accommodate this rapid growth and to expand water supply resilience, the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) implemented the Water Resources Integration Program (WRIP) to expand their ability to transfer water between pressure zones. Phase 2 includes Pipeline Segments 2C and 3, connecting the Old Pearsall Pump Station to the Anderson Pump Station. This program allows SAWS to distribute desalinated brackish groundwater, fresh groundwater, and Edwards Aquifer water stored at the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) facilities into their system. In early 2010, SAWS initiated the WRIP Segment 3 Project design, including approximately 13.1 mi of 48″ water transmission line. The 90% design documents were completed in 2012, but then placed on indefinite hold due to the discovery of endangered species in the project area. Once mitigation methods were identified, design resumed in 2017. The 5-year hiatus required a re-examination of the transmission main alignment to locate significant commercial or residential construction that would impact pipeline installation. Pipeline alignment modifications were limited to the easement area previously obtained during Phase 1 of the project. The 100% design documents were completed in Fall 2018 but then placed on hold again due to budgetary constraints. The design was reinitiated in early 2020 to identify any additional changes that may have occurred during the 2-year hold. The project was issued for bid in July 2020, with a construction NTP issued in November 2020. Over the 10-year design period for the Phase 2 WRIP pipelines, commercial and residential construction transformed the project area necessitating multiple iterations of design changes. Additionally, the Project itself was located within an environmentally sensitive region presenting pipeline installation obstacles.