Northeast Water Purification Plant, High Service Pump and Yard Piping

The NEWPP project is a $1.7B progressive Design Build project that will serve water to more than 500 municipalities in the Houston area. It’s the largest contract of its kind in the world and will allow Houston to treat up to 320 MGD by 2025.

The Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) Expansion Project (the Project) includes construction of:

1. New water treatment facilities sized to achieve 320 MGD of Treated Water production.
2. New Raw Water facilities, including intake, pumping and conveyance facilities to withdraw Raw Water from Lake Houston and deliver it to the new water treatment facilities
3. New electrical supply facilities, including a new electrical substation.
4. Certain related buildings, structures, fixtures, systems, and equipment.

The Project will be constructed in phases, the first 80 MGD will be ready by the begging of 2023 leaving the remaining 240MGD by 2025 to provide to total of 320 MGD, sufficient water to reach a population of 4 million people which an extra 55% of the currently population from Greater Houston area.

PLW has been awarded two contracts, Yard Piping and High Service Pump Stations, valued at $192M. The construction activities started in fall 2019 after more than a year producing preconstruction services for the owner.

The Yard Piping Scope of Work

The Project Team has completed over 700,00 work hours with zero lost time accidents delivering over 69 percent of the scope of work. Revenue has increased by $7 million through change orders.

The Yard Piping Scope of Work consists of connecting to the twin influent Raw Water 108-inch mains at the northeast connection point and continuing with all process and utility yard piping throughout the plant as shown in the contract documents connecting to all process facilities and ending at the point of connection of the 84 and 120-inch effluent distribution lines. All equipment and Materials required to install a complete yard piping package, inclusive of submission, purchase, excavation, installation, cathodic protection, backfill, shoring, dewatering, testing, and disinfection are part of PLW’s scope of works.

The 66” Bypass scope of work was a highlight for PLW in that the scope was design assist with the client, that utilized MWBE resources to achieve a solution that also satisfied the City of Houston’s need for no disruption to the existing facilities operation. The main scope was to bypass the existing 66” pipe that provides water to the Houston area to be able to deliver the new scope of works. This was a real critical operation as any interruption on the system will cut water supply to 1/3 of Houston population including IAH airport.

At the other end we had to do a similar operation by connection de finish water train to the new plant once more that line can not be uninterrupted for the reason above mention.

The High Service Pump Station

The High Service Pump Station project has already installed the 40 ft deep pump cans underground for the first of the two pump stations.

The High Service Pump Station portion of the project was able to deliver one of the backwash pumps earlier than required by contract to the client for their use to start commission of other tier 1 Phase 1 processes.

The High Service Pump Station portion of the project was able to deliver one of the backwash pumps early to the client for their use to start commission of other Phase 1 processes.

The Project Team was able to deliver the Main Switchgear Building, which was the first fully operational building on the entire site, to the client out of the full $1.7 Billion Scope throughout the site.

Currently, there are 70+ PLW employees plus 90+ sub-contractor employees on site and 30+ office personal between PWL and sub-contractors.

The Yard Piping project has installed more than 94,000 ft of pipe of different materials and diameters ranging from 3/4 inch to 120 inches, which represents around 65 percent of the total length of pipes to be installed.

Both scopes regarding phase 1 are nearing completion and we are currently at the lats step of the process which involved testing of all components as well as Chlorination of potable / finish water lines throughout facility.

Coordination between other Tier-1 Contractors continues to be the biggest challenge, especially as everyone is all working towards completing their Phase 1 Scope in the upcoming weeks / months.

BIM Technology

Utilizing BIM through both design and as-built models, PLW has been able to see potential issues and forecast interconnections between other contractors, trades, and even existing installed scope. The Project Team has seen the benefits of BIM, as it has greatly assisted the High Service Pump Station Building to achieve acceleration of specific areas through planning, coordination, and has reduced the need for re-work. PLW has also been maintaining a more detailed as-built model and the Team plans on utilizing the as-built in the construction of the second, High Service Pump Station for Phase 2.

At NEWPP we don’t look at Safety as a priority on our to do list that need fulfilment, we look at safety as a cultural approach to change the way everybody in the project looks at the task that need perform.

To achieve such big statement of changing culture we implement a series of initiatives with good acceptances and rewards towards the safety of our PLW family.