Broomfield, Colorado — The Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) Integrated Water Transmission and Treatment Project has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement awards program. Designed and engineered by MWH and other firms, the project was selected for superior civil engineering excellence and its contribution to civil engineering progress and society.
Key components of the $2 billion, eight-year Integrated Water Transmission and Treatment Project include a new intake in Lake Mead, raw water delivery pipelines and pumping stations, and a state-of-the-art River Mountains Water Treatment Facility (RMWTF). To-date, this system has expanded the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s water supply capability by more than 25%. It will further increase this supply another 25% in the next two years, thereby matching skyrocketing population growth.
The Lake Mead intake and water transmission system includes a 12-ft-diameter lake tap and intake shaft, a 16 x 14-feet horseshoe-shaped tunnel, and pumping forebay. A 3,000-foot portion of the intake shaft is installed below the Lake Mead surface. It is one of the world’s largest underwater pressure pipes, designed for a maximum 300-psi internal pressure. Water drawn through the intake is directed through three pumping/aqueduct subsystems extending from the lake to the new RMWTF facility, approximately 10 miles in distance and 1,000-feet higher in elevation.
The RMWTF is designed for 150 million gallons per day (mgd) initial capacity, expandable to 600 mgd and incorporates advanced treatment processes including ozonation, deep-bed filtration, on-site chlorine production and microfiltration, along with extensive communications and automation. A high-level of flexibility ensures compliance with future regulations and treatment stan-dards. In addition, the project team incorporated numerous features that address aesthetic and safety concerns of nearby residents, preserves endangered species found within the region, and provides long-term educational opportunities.
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About MWH
Headquartered in Broomfield, Colo., MWH is a private, employee-owned firm with approximately 6,000 employees worldwide. The company provides water, wastewater, energy, natural resource, program management, consulting and construction services to industrial, municipal and government clients in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, India, Asia and the Pacific Rim. For more information about MWH, please visit the company’s Web site at www.mwhglobal.com.
