Raw Water Transmission Main

THE PROJECT
The City of Boynton Beach in Florida had excess capacity to treat raw water at its East Water Treatment Plant, but it did not have the capacity to draw more water from the wells in that location. Conversely, it had the capacity to draw water from the wells near the West Water Treatment Plant.

Erdman Anthony was selected to design a two-mile section of 36-inch ductile iron raw water main for the city, from Military Trail to Congress Avenue. Erdman Anthony also obtained the permits and managed the construction effort, including providing inspectors and construction administration

FEATURES/SOLUTIONS
Erdman Anthony designed and permitted a solution to place the water main in the Lake Worth Drainage District right-of-way, thus eliminating the need for a utility bridge. Conflicts with existing utilities and drainage pipes were located with soft digs and coordinated with the various utility owners.

Our solutions included:

• Completing the horizontal and vertical geometry for the pipe
• Assisting with the acquisition of easements
• Addressing crossings with utilities and drainage culverts
• Considering the maintenance-of-traffic impacts
• Designing combination air release/air vacuum valves with anti-slam devices and flood-safe backflow preventers
• Employing horizontal gate valves to allow for future swabbing
• Utilizing a super chlorinated slug for the flushing process to clean all three segments

IMPACTS
The project began with an analysis to recommend the route for the overall transmission main. Factors such as utility impacts, safety, maintenance of traffic, impacts to the community, permitting, construction costs, and operational costs were considered.

Together with the city and the designers for the other two segments of the overall project, the Woolbright Road route was selected. That route, which includes a section with a bridge over Quail Covey Road, reduced maintenance-of-traffic and pavement restoration.

The overall project now allows the city to withdraw 20 million gallons per day of raw water at its western well field, where permitted capacity for withdrawals is available, and transport that water to its water treatment plant east of I-95, where it has treatment capacity.

The city and the design engineers published a paper regarding this project’s design in ASCE’s technical proceedings for its nationwide pipelines conference.

Publications
https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784412480.084

Sustainable Design Impact The city was not able to fully utilize the capacity of their water treatment plant due to saline water intrusion concerns.  Due to those environmental impacts, the city had to reduce the well withdrawal near the water treatment plant.  This project allows the city to make effective use of the infrastructure at the water treatment plant without compromising the environmental impacts of saline water intrusion.  By using wells farther west, outside the influence of the saline water barrier, they are able to effectively use their infrastructure.