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Project Updates
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NEWS Keep informed about the latest project news, construction
updates, and community event information by checking back regularly
for updates to this page. PWP wins industry awards The Prairie Waters Project has been recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and the International Right Of Way Association (IRWA) during two recent award announcements. Nov. 1, the ACEC awarded the City of Aurora and CH2M HILL its Engineering Excellence Award among Colorado projects for work on the Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility. The project was judged by a panel of engineering peers as the winner in the water resources category. As the state category winner, the project moves on to the national competition. Entries were judged based on original and innovative application of new and existing water treatment techniques, exceeding the client's needs, value to the engineering profession, perception by the public, complexity, and social, economic and sustainable design considerations. The Prairie Waters Project is the fastest, most cost effective and environmentally sustainable way to bolster Aurora's water resources The Binney facility is the final step of the project's innovative multiple-step purification processes that uses both natural and state-of-the art water purification techniques to treat the city’s existing water rights from the South Platte River. The facility features softening, advanced ultraviolet light oxidation, granular media filtration, and granular activated carbon and is designed to work in conjunction with the project’s natural purification area, where water percolates with the natural sand and gravel found along the river. No other surface water treatment system in the U.S. combines this level of purification capability, and it demonstrates Aurora’s commitment to protecting the health of its customers Aurora’s commitment to sustainability. The ACEC award for the project is the second recent award from a professional organization since the water system began operating. In October, the IRWA honored the project by naming the PWP to its Top 10 Projects of the Year listing. IRWA is a professional organization of right of way professionals committed to promoting improved service to employers and the public, and advancements within the right of way profession. The IRWA honor recognized the project team for its strong teamwork to successfully deliver a challenging project that is of significant importance to the community. Each year, IRWA profiles the top winner along with a top 10 list in its November/December issue of Right of Way Magazine.Aurora Water's Sustainable Water Supply System Complete Speakers included Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer, Interim City Manager Nancy Freed, Aurora Water Director Mark Pifher, former Aurora Water Director Peter Binney and CH2M HILL Chairman and CEO Lee McIntire whose company provided design and program management services. The project is the fastest, most cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to meet Aurora's water needs and went from design to completion in just five years. Construction broke ground in July 2007 at the Binney facility site. The system includes 34 miles of 60-inch diameter pipeline, three pump stations, a natural purification area and a new water treatment facility that is one of the most technologically advanced in the country. Designed to protect the city against drought, like the one in 2002 that left Aurora with only a 9-month supply of water, the system is a forward-looking project that uses a sustainable water source by recapturing river water. Aurora, like many other cities in the state, gets most of its water from mountain runoff, but it's difficult to predict how much water will be delivered from year to year. Prairie Waters provides the solution. Calling it a "project of a lifetime," Freed remarked on the visionary nature of Prairie Waters, as it provides a sustainable future for Aurora and protects residents from drought. Both Pifher and Tauer stressed the importance of collaboration during the project and noted that the project demonstrates how working together to develop regionalized water solutions can benefit everyone. McIntire added that in today's world of water systems stressed by climate change and aquifers drying up, that Prairie Waters sets a new trend. "This project uses a first of its kind strategy that is an innovative and sustainable approach for new water resources," he said. "This positions Aurora for the future." Binney, the former Aurora Water Director and the driving force in the development of Prairie Waters, said that the water solutions from the 19th and 20th centuries would not address the needs of the Aurora community and many others facing water crisis. It took a creative, sustainable, environmentally conscious approach, utilizing both natural treatment and cutting edge technologies, to deliver the needed solution. PWP Pipeline Complete, Pumps Energized Two more project milestones were completed this summer for the Aurora Water Prairie Waters Project as the system now prepares for final completion and startup tests through the remainder of the year. In early June, the three pumping station facilities passed a rigorous performance test where water was run at various pumping speeds and operating conditions to test each facility's components. Meanwhile, the end of June marked the formal completion of the last segment of pipeline for the project as all inspections and testing has successfully concluded. These activities mark the completion of the conveyance system to deliver water to the city. Three segments of pipeline totaling 34 miles and three pumping stations are now ready for operation. With work on the conveyance system coming to a close, startup activities will begin to shift to the Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility, under construction near the Aurora Reservoir. Through the summer and fall, contractors will finalize construction and operators will perform a variety of tests and system checks as they begin to commission the facility. Landscaping at the three pumping station facilities and final paving at the new Peter D. Binney Water Purification facility (PBWPF) are among some of the recent activities as contractors push for final completion. Through July, the pumping stations are approximately 97 percent complete, and the PBWPF is approximately 98 percent complete. Water for testing is periodically moving through the well field at the North Campus and being delivered through the recently completed 34-mile pipeline to Binney. Overall, the Prairie Waters Project is about 94 percent complete. |
PWP Opens Control Building
April 12th was move in day for Aurora Water as workers began transitioning into the new Control Building at the Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility. Work on the new facility is about 95 percent complete, but construction on the Control Building was accelerated, allowing operators of Aurora's new water system to move in early and begin preparing to bring the water system online by 2011. The facility is part of the Prairie Waters Project, the most cost-effective, environmentally friendly and immediate way to meet the city's water needs. Aurora personnel held a brief, informal ribbon-cutting ceremony then began moving into their new offices and operating the state-of-the art control room inside the building. The building will be used extensively during startup testing of the Binney facility, and will be instrumental in the startup testing of the rest of the Prairie Waters Project planned through the summer and fall of 2010.
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PWP Pushing Water
The end of March marked another milestone for the Prairie Waters Project as water began flowing from the North Campus and into the Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility (PBWPF) for the first time. The activity was part of the planned testing for the three pump stations along the 34 mile pipeline. The facilities serve to push water through the pipeline to the new purification facility. To test the recently installed pumps, workers operated the motors for brief periods at each facility, pushing water through the pipeline and on to the PBWPF. The past month, operators at the North Campus have been coordinating with other components of the project to slowly fill the pipeline and supply sufficient water through the Riverbank Filtration area to support the testing. The testing is a precursor to larger system tests that will be occurring periodically throughout the year. Overall, the Prairie Waters Project is more than 92 percent complete and on schedule to deliver 10,000 acre feet of water to Aurora by the end of 2010.
Aurora Water sets last piece of pipe for Prairie Waters Project
Workers placed the last piece of Aurora's Prairie Water Project supply pipe on Thursday, February 11, 2010, nearly 2 years after pipeline construction began. The Prairie Waters Project will help drought-harden the city beginning in 2011.
Workers lowered the final piece of 60 inch concrete-lined steel pipe with a crane into a 10-foot deep trench near the Aurora Reservoir and welded it into place. In total, workers installed 34 miles of 60-inch pipe from Weld County to the Aurora Reservoir.
"This moment is more than the end of major activities for the conveyance pipeline," said Darrell Hogan, Prairie Waters Project Program Director. "This marks a beginning for our final push to conclude construction activities by the end of the year. The project is on schedule and projected to be under budget."
The project broke ground in July of 2007 as work began on the Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility, located north of the Aurora Reservoir. Pipeline activities began in March of 2008 to connect the North Campus, a natural purification area located along the South Platte River north of Brighton, to the new water purification facility. The completed pipeline will initially allow for 10,000 acre-feet of water to be delivered to Aurora.
Overall, the Prairie Waters Project is 88 percent complete. By May, work is scheduled to conclude on the projects three pumping stations. Workers will then begin testing the conveyance system and delivering water to the new treatment facility.
The Prairie Waters Project is the fastest, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to enhance Aurora's water supply. During 2003, the city had less than a 9 month supply of water due to a prolonged drought. To protect Aurora from future drought impacts, the Prairie Waters Project was developed to utilize existing return flows from its transbasin diversions and transferred agriculture rights.
