COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, March 18, 2015 -- Today, community leaders, contractors and partner communities celebrated the completion of 50 miles of pipeline construction for Colorado's Southern Delivery System (SDS), one of the largest water projects under construction in the Western United States.
The conclusion of pipeline construction brings this $841-million project one step closer to delivering water next year. The pipe will transport water stored in Pueblo Reservoir north to Colorado Springs, the second largest city in the state, and to the growing Southern Colorado communities of Pueblo West, Fountain and Security, serving as many as three-quarters of a million residents through 2040.
More than 7,000 50-foot sections of mostly 66-inch-diameter, welded-steel blue pipe were installed over the past 3.5 years in areas that included residential neighborhoods in Pueblo West (see "Major Colorado water project commences construction"). Moreover, extensive revegetation has been carried out throughout the project to restore land disturbed by construction.
Denver-based Northwest Pipe manufactured the SDS pipe, and three prime contractors managed the installation of different sections through Pueblo and El Paso County. Garney Construction also installed 23 miles of SDS pipeline in various areas, including work at Lake Pueblo State Park -- the tunnel location -- and in Colorado Springs.
Pueblo County-based ASI/HCP Constructors also built the Pueblo Dam Connection and installed nearly five miles of pipe through Lake Pueblo State Park and about nine miles of pipe in southern El Paso County east of Fountain. Further, Layne Heavy Civil installed about eight miles of pipe in Pueblo County and six miles in El Paso County.
Construction is also underway on a $125-million water treatment plant and finished water pump station that will be able to treat 50 million gallons of water per day (see "Team of CO businesses breaks ground on $125M water treatment plant"). Three raw water pump stations, which will transport water 1,500 feet in elevation from Pueblo Reservoir, are also under construction. Construction on these facilities is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
Through the end of 2014, an estimated $514 million has been allocated more than 390 businesses and entities in Colorado for planning and work on SDS. Of that, $316 million was spent in Southern Colorado. For more information about the Southern Delivery System, visit www.SDSWater.org.
See also:
"Critigen provides land acquisition support for water transport project in Colorado"
"Construction Begins on Colorado Water Project"
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