Las Vegas, Nevada — The American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) selected the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) Integrated Water Transmission and Treatment Project for the prestigious grand prize in the design category of the 2004 Excellence in Environmental Engineering program. Designed and engineered by MWH and other firms, the extensive project has helped significantly improve and expand the Las Vegas Valley region’s existing potable water supply system.
The Integrated Water Transmission and Treatment Project is a key component of SNWA’s $2 billion, eight-year Capital Improvements Program. The project includes 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). This project 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 to meet increasing water demands and provide additional system reliability.
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 12-foot diameter intake pumping station discharge pipe was 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. Raw water from Lake Mead is then transmitted through two additional booster pumping stations and a 9-foot diameter pipe 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, currently being expanded to 300 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, protects 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.
