Construction Update: April 2025
- jaimyebartak
- May 1
- 2 min read
Construction activities started to pick up even further in April. Here’s some highlights from the field…
Crews relocated the process water pipes,
Modified existing hydraulic control structure for tie-in #2,
Started installing line stops for the transmission main tie-ins, and
Welded HDPE pipe for temporary transmission mains.
Construction crews are working on a series of tie-ins to the existing water mains, including rerouting the pipe that runs through the slow sand filters that will be demolished. These tie-ins require shutdowns of transmission mains to install line stops (temporary valves that allow for the isolation of a section of pipe so that it can be tied into with new pipe) and make new connections. Crews are working 6 days a week to complete these tie-ins before summer, when demand for drinking water peaks.
Excavating the outer edge of the old slow sand filters, where a 42-inch transmission main is located.
The first construction challenge on our site is relocating our transmission mains and other infrastructure out of the work zones, while keeping the water flowing and keeping us in operation. It’s a challenging task. The contractor is currently working around and above some of our most critical infrastructure: our process water for chemical addition, chlorine line, and transmission mains.
Workers welded a flange on the old pipe in preparation for the line stop to be performed.
The contractor is making progress on two line stops on our 42-inch transmission main, to ultimately tie in a 36-inch temporary transmission main pipe into it that will route around the construction site.
Crews cored into and modified our hydraulic control structure (where filtered water flows from the rapid sand filters into two transmission mains) for the direct (rapid sand) filtration plant. For this work, operations staff installed stop logs to isolate one side of the structure while still running water through the other side.
This is one of 4 separate tie-in steps required to reroute the transmission mains around the work. The tie-ins must be completed before the next phase: demolition of all 8 slow sand filters on the east side of the plant.
