Austin Water Treatment Plant 4 Project Update

The Austin Water Utility is moving forward with Water Treatment Plant 4, a new 300-mgd water treatment facility that draws water from Lake Travis to augment the City’s potable water system. The project includes three tunnel components, with a deep raw water intake tunnel, to convey lake water to the new plant and two other tunnels – the Jollyville and Forest Ridge Tunnels, to convey treated water from the new plant to the existing system. MWH Constructors Inc. is the Construction Manager at Risk for the construction of the Water Treatment Plant Number 4 Project including the tunnels.

Award of the tunnel work is planned to include a two-step selection process for each of the three tunnel segments. Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) will be evaluated during Step 1; the most qualified firms/teams will be invited to submit proposals for construction in Step 2. Step 1 for Bid Package S-101: Raw Water Intake System (comprised of the Lake Travis raw water intake structure, raw water intake tunnel, raw water transmission tunnel, pump wells and associated shafts) is currently under way. Proposers’ SOQs are due at the MWH Constructors Austin office on June 8, 2010.

Plans and the SOQ documents can be obtained by leaving your contact information at MWHCAustinWTP4@MWHGlobal.com or by calling (512) 343-8700, ext. 115.

The Jollyville and Forest Ridge Tunnel projects, still in design, are planned to consist of approximately 35,000 ft of 84-in. ID and 10,000 ft of 48-in. ID treated water pipeline tunnels, respectively. The Jollyville/Forest Ridge sub-contractor selection process is expected to begin the first quarter of 2011.