Aurora Water’s Sustainable Water Supply System

Aurora, CO -- The city of Aurora recently celebrated the completion of the Prairie Waters Project, an innovative and environmentally friendly water system that was finished ahead of schedule and more than $100 million under budget.

A large Colorado crowd excited to see the completion of the $653 million project gathered Friday, Oct. 8, for the system’s formal dedication. 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. 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.

The project begins in Brighton, where water is pulled from the South Platte River. Riverbank wells pull the water through sand and gravel to perform the initial cleaning process. Water is then pumped to Aurora where it is treated with multiple water purification steps at the Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility, including an advanced ultraviolet oxidation process that is among the largest application of UV oxidation in the world. The plant can treat 50 million gallons of water each day.

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.

Although Aurora Water utilized some traditional funding mechanisms — $213 million in cash and net bond proceeds of $367 million — the department also sought, and received, funding from some unique sources. The environmentally-friendly nature of the project allowed Aurora Water to create partnerships with conservation agencies who applauded the city’s efforts to design a sustainable project that protected wildlife habitats during construction and use its water resources responsibly. That helped the department secure a low interest $75 million loan from the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Prairie Waters also provided jobs at a time when economic belts were tightening. As of March 2010, 313 separate companies were contracted for the project, and payroll over the past several years has exceeded $44 million.

Source: http://www.ch2m.com/

Jeanette Brown named Executive Director of WEF

Alexandria, VA -- The Water Environment Federation (WEF) announces the members of its 2010-2011 Board of Trustees. The members were confirmed by WEF’s House of Delegates during WEFTEC® 2010 — WEF’s 83rd annual technical exhibition and conference — earlier this month in New Orleans, La.

During a ceremony on Tuesday, October 5, the WEF “gavel of leadership” was passed from President Paul Freedman (Ann Arbor, Mich.) to incoming President Jeanette Brown, Executive Director of the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority (Stamford, Conn.) and Adjunct Professor of Environmental Engineering at Manhattan College in Riverdale, N.Y.

“I’m assuming the WEF presidency at a very pivotal time in history for the Federation and for all of us as water professionals,” said Brown. “As members of the Water Environment Federation, we are the experts, the ones with the best knowledge to guide policy-makers on the right decisions to protect our water. During my tenure as president, I plan to continue to place WEF and our members in a leadership role in solving the water challenges of this century.”

In addition to President Brown, the 2010-2011 Board of Trustees includes: Immediate Past President Freedman, President-Elect Matt Bond (Kansas City, Mo.), Vice President Cordell Samuels (Pickering, Ontario, Canada), Treasurer Chris Browning (Fulton County, Ga.), Secretary and Executive Director Bill Bertera (Alexandria, Va.), Trustees Paul Bowen (Atlanta, Ga.), Kartik Chandran (New York, N.Y.), Scott Cummings (Atlanta, Ga.), John Hart (Saco, Maine), Deborah Houdeshell (Akron, Ohio), Betty Jordan (Dallas, Tex.), Terry Krause (Chicago, Ill.), Ed McCormick (Oakland, Calif.), Sandra Ralston (Charleston, S.C.), Paul Schuler (Portland, Ore.), Scott Trotter (Saint Charles, Ill.), and Rick Warner (Reno, Nev.).

Recognized as the world’s largest annual water quality conference and exhibition, WEFTEC 2010 was held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La., from October 2-6, 2010.

Source: http://www.wef.org/

Washington, DC -- The American Water Works Association (AWWA) today announced it will lead a ground-breaking new study on how municipalities forecast water demand within the context of anticipated climate change.

The project, funded by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will provide recommendations on how to improve current water demand forecasting and identify areas of essential future research.

The study includes an assessment of current computer models, workshops to identify knowledge gaps, development of research priorities, and recommendations for reducing risk through improved demand forecasting. The researchers will conduct model simulations at two drinking water utilities.

“This project is historic in its focus,” said AWWA Executive Director David LaFrance.

“Most studies on climate change and drinking water have focused on the supply side, looking at water resources. The examination of water demand adds an important new perspective. AWWA is excited about the opportunity to help municipalities deal with the complex questions surrounding water demand and climate change.”

AWWA Director of Federal Relations Alan Roberson will serve as principal investigator for the project. Other members of the project team include faculty from George Washington University and the University of Colorado at Boulder, along with staff from the environmental facilitator, Kearns & West.

The project will take approximately two years to complete.

Source: http://www.awwa.org/

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This week's photo is of Tank Connection, field-erected wastewater treatment plant in the Caribbean. Tank Connection is the only tank supplier worldwide that designs, manufactures and installs all four types of steel storage tanks including bolted RTP, field-weld, shop-weld and hybrid tank designs for liquid storage applications.

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