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Construction has begun on a critical section of SDS pipeline that will move water from Pueblo Dam to the Pueblo West pump station and future Juniper pump station to transport water to the SDS partner communities of Pueblo West, Colorado Springs, Fountain and Security. Garney Construction began removing rock and digging a trench to house the 0.3 miles of 90-inch diameter underground pipe.
The over-sized pipe is being installed to accommodate a connection for Pueblo West, the second largest beneficiary of the SDS project. The new pipe will add reliability to Pueblo West’s water supply. Currently, the Pueblo West Metropolitan District relies on a single 24-inch pipe buried under the Arkansas River to transport the water from Pueblo Dam’s south outlet works. That pipe is more than 30 years old and nearing the end of its engineered life span. The pipe also has almost reached maximum capacity, limiting its ability to meet Pueblo West’s future water demands. SDS will increase Pueblo West's capacity by 150 percent meeting its water demands for decades.
The new 90-inch diameter pipe being installed for SDS will connect to a 36-inch pipe that will deliver water to the Pueblo West pump station at Lake Pueblo State Park. The 90-inch pipe also will transport water to the new Juniper Pump Station, now under construction near Pueblo West’s existing pump station. Juniper is the first of three pump stations that will move water through 50 miles of pipe to a water treatment plant in El Paso County. From there water will be treated and delivered to residents of Colorado Springs.
The pipe installation at Lake Pueblo State Park will be completed by mid-2014 and Juniper Pump Station construction will be completed in 2015.
Both projects are providing additional opportunities for area businesses. Close to 100 Pueblo County businesses have been hired to support SDS.
John Volk, co-owner of WorkZone Traffic Control, Inc. is among one of the many local businesses that are excited to be partnering with SDS to support construction. “In today’s economy, I need new business opportunities to survive,” Volk said. “SDS construction has kept my business profitable and my employees busy.”
WorkZone is headquartered in Pueblo and has competitively secured contracts for traffic control and other services for much of the construction in Pueblo County. The company teamed with Garney Construction for work on the pipeline through Pueblo West and is now supporting the current work near Pueblo Dam.
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