Posted on October 22, 2021
The Intake Pump Stations (IPS) at the Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) Expansion Project was recognized by Water & Waste Digest as one of the Top Projects in 2021. Victaulic was honored to support the Houston Waterworks Team (a joint venture of Jacobs and CDM Smith) and McCarthy Building Companies on this critical infrastructure project.
What is the Water & Wastes Digest Top Project Award?
Each year, Water & Wastes Digest recognizes the best projects in the design and/or construction phases from the prior 18 months. The projects selected for this award exemplify innovative solutions to recurring problems, tremendous scale considerations, and outstanding coordination among stakeholders, contractors, designers, and utilities. The WWD Editorial Advisory Board, which consists of industry professionals and experts from utilities and manufacturers, determines the winners of the award.
Past winners of this prestigious award include the Luce Bayou Interbasin Transfer Project, the Grand Forks Regional Water Treatment Plant, and the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Facility.
Read more from Water & Waste Digest about the NEWPP Intake Pump Station being recognized as a Top Project.
Overview of the 2021 WWD Top Project Award Winner
The Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) Expansion Project, currently the largest, progressive design-build project of its kind in the United States, will increase surface water usage and dramatically reduce south Texas’ unsustainable dependence on groundwater. The NEWPP Expansion Project includes the design, construction, and commissioning of an Intake Pump Station (IPS), twin 108-inch transmission mains, a pre-and post-treatment chemical addition, flocculation, and sedimentation basins, ozone treatment, filtration, finished water storage tanks, and two high service pumping stations.
One element of the overall project is the raw water IPS that withdraws raw water from Lake Houston and delivers it to the Main Plant of the NEWPP facility for treatment to produce drinking water. This component consists of a pump platform with fourteen pumps, as well as dual 108” transmission mains extending 1000 feet over Lake Houston. Following a series of competitive procurement for each facility, construction work on the IPS was subcontracted by the Houston Waterworks Team (HWT) (a JV of Jacobs and CDM Smith) to McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
Victaulic’s Role in this Critical Infrastructure Project
Victaulic’s Infrastructure Team has worked closely with all of the stakeholders in the NEWPP Expansion Project to deliver inherent value engineering and provide reliable solutions to the project’s challenges. The high volume of water presented to the intake structure created two key challenges for the HWT (a JV of Jacobs and CDM Smith). These challenges included the startup-thrust factor and the day-to-day expansion and contraction of the dual 108” transmission lines.
Victaulic was able to provide a solution to accommodate the one million pounds of pressure (approximate) that the transmission lines will experience at start up as well as accommodate the significant day-to-day expansion and contraction.
On the dual 108” carbon steel transmission mains, the Style 231 Non-Restrained Flexible Expansion Couplings were selected to accommodate the high thrust factor and movement of the system. Additionally, Victaulic Style 232 Restrained Flexible Couplings were utilized for their dismantling capabilities at the 120” cleanouts, meeting the systems design requirements.
Victaulic’s reliable solutions were able to accommodate for substantial system movement, reduce system footprint, and mitigate risk on this project. These solutions not only brought value to the owner and engineer but also supported the contractor’s efforts. Through expedited installation, McCarthy was able to reduce labor cost and time, while mitigating the safety risk of working over a body of water for long periods of time.
To learn more about Victaulic’s role at the NEWPP Intake Pump Station, click here.
