Stormwater • Sanitary Sewer
Volume 6, Issue 5 – 2010
Lower
Lower Fountain
Fountain Metropolitan
Metropolitan Sewage
Sewage Disposal
Disposal District
District
Interceptor Installation First Step
In New WWRF Construction
C
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V
E
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T
O
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Moving Forward As Planned
Pikes Peak Area Growth Finally Driving
Need For Long-Planned Regional WWRF
oo often, public sector news is
centered around fiscal shortages. Government services
funded by taxes have been subject
to serious budget restraints for at
least three years now – restraints
that in reality have likely become
standard operating procedure. Public utilities are a little better off, since
funding comes primarily from user
fees. Yet pay-per-use funding is no
guarantee of a providerʼs long-term
solvency. Cooperation between
agencies is more critical than ever,
regardless of how operations are
funded, and prudent management
now requires actively pursuing
partnerships to the extent practical.
Understandably, itʼs commonly
the larger entity that takes the lead
in infrastructure projects and forges
the partnerships that result. Thatʼs
not always the case, though, especially when a fiscally-sound agency
has structured itself around a clear
long-term vision. Such is the case
of Lower Fountain Metropolitan
Sewage Disposal District, formed in
1986 for the purpose of providing
regional wastewater treatment for
the southeast Colorado Springs
metropolitan area, with Fountain
Sanitation District and Colorado
Centre Metropolitan District as its
members.
“Formation of the Lower Fountain Metropolitan Sewage Disposal
District was spurred by the anticipated development of Banning Lewis
Ranch,” explains LFMSDD Manager
Jim Heckman, who holds the same
title with FSD. “At over 21,000 acres,
the ranch represented an area larger
than the City of Boulder. Geographically situated downstream, we
envisioned a regional wastewater
reclamation facility modeled after
Metro Wastewater in Denver that
might eventually serve an area over
50 square-miles.”
With the ranch bordering the
eastern limits of Colorado Springs, its
new developer lobbied the City for
annexation, and was successful in
1988. One of the largest in Colorado
history, the annexation increased
the Cityʼs geographical size over 25
percent.
Facilities planning began imme-
Scrapers over-excavated southern-most portion of the LFMSDD sanitary sewer
interceptor alignment before excavators cut dual trenches for twin pipelines
at a depth up to 40 feet. The 5-mile pipeline was constructed by Reynolds Inc.
Colorado Public Works Journal
May 2010
Used with Permission
15-sq.-mile service area that endiately for LFMSDD, which obcompasses both Fountain Creek
tained site approval from the
and Jimmy Camp Creek basins
Water Quality Control Division of
within City of Fountain and south
Colorado Department of Health
central El Paso County. Its existin November 1988 for a WWRF
ing WWRF utilizes an extended
and purchased 60-acres of propaeration activated sludge procerty and interceptor ROW. But
ess to treat 1.3 MGD, serving the
later that year, in the midst of the
Fountain Creek basin (where the
national savings and loan industry
great majority of the development
crisis, the Banning Lewis Ranch
currently exists) via gravity and
developer defaulted on its loan and
the Jimmy Camp Creek basin
the property wound up in Federal
via pump. Joining LFMSDD frees
ownership. Although efforts went
FSD, once the new plant is operaas far as preparing construction
tional, of the need to pump wastedocuments, LFMSDD shelved
water to treatment, since the new
actual construction and allowed
the Department of Healthʼs site Reynolds Inc. crews sometimes reverse the LFMSDD plant will receive Jimmy
bucket on an excavator to perform delicate Camp Creek basin flows via gravapproval to expire.
ity while the existing FSD plant
“Fountain Sanitation District work around utilities.
replaced its lagoon system with a facility. Our customer base, which is will continue to serve those areas
new 1.9-MGD treatment plant in measured in connection permits, that it can service by gravity after
1998,” Heckman continues, “which has risen from 4087 in 2000 to 7299 the new facility is online. Biosolids
is our current facility. The existing in 2009. Thatʼs an increase of over from the old plant will be pumped,
site cannot accommodate build-out 78 percent, so the time is right to however, into the new plantʼs interceptor, consolidating the sludge
of the Districtʼs service area, so begin construction.”
Formed in 1955, FSD currently removal process at the new facility.
planning has long recognized the
CCMD, formed in 1984, serves
eventual need for a new treatment serves around 7300 accounts in a
Deere 450D LC excavators are able to straddle
a wide trench thanks to an 18-ft.-wide ID mainframe. Reynolds leased two machines from
Commerce City-based Honnen Equipment, who
also installed the aftermarket mainframes.
an approximate 6.5-sq.-mile area in
El Paso County adjacent to Banning
Lewis Ranchʼs southern boundary.
Ninety percent of CCMDʼs service
area is located within Colorado
Springsʼ corporate limits. CCMD
currently serves approximately 720
accounts and, through an IGA,
pumps it wastewater to FSDʼs treatment facility.
Development within the Lower
Fountain Valley began in significance
in the 1990s as Colorado Springs
was establishing itself as a high
tech manufacturing hub and nearby
Fort Carson was continuing to grow
as a major US Army base. Colorado
Springs was growing, too – just not
on Banning Lewis Ranch, which
remained undeveloped after being
sold by the Federal government in
1993. When the ranch was again
sold in 2001, this time to prominent
developer and homebuilder Capital
Pacific Holdings Inc., LFMSDD
began reviving plans for a regional
WWRF.
"The ranch, at full build-out, has
an expected population of approximately 180,000, which will positively
and substantially change the complexion of the City," stated Capital
Pacific Chairman and CEO Hadi
Makarechian while announcing the
ranchʼs acquisition.
Mainframe is moved into Honnenʼs shop, left, and tracks are attached before
reinstalling the Deere 450D LC excavator on its undercarriage.
Development has resulted in an over 78 percent increase in Fountain Sanitation
Districtʼs connection permits since 2000. For about a third of the LFMSDD interceptor project, contractor Reynolds Inc. was squeezed within limited ROW.
“Between 2003 and 2006,”
Heckman recalls, “joint planning
discussions were held in which
LFMSDD and Colorado Springs Utilities pursued partnering, but we were
unable to reach an agreement on a
concept design primarily due to a
mismatch in timing. So based on an
analysis of opportunities available
to its members, LFMSDD elected to
proceed with implementation of a
new water reclamation facility. The
potential for regional partners in
the future, including Springs Utilities,
remains high because the new
plantʼs site is downstream and will
allow gravity transmission of influent from the north.”
Reynolds crews install new interceptor under
natural gas pipeline, above, and communications ductwork, left, for the new WWRF under
Birdsall Road, which soon will be paved. At
right, HDPE pipe is fused before being pulled
through steel casing under two roadways
where auger boring was performed.
In the meantime, Banning Lewis
Ranch began development of its
Northtree Village, the first of six planned villages. A welcome/ recreation
center and charter school were constructed along with 20 model homes
in the northwest corner of the ranch.
Today, about 200 of the planned 1000
single-family and attached homes
on just under 350 acres in Northtree
Village have been sold. Over the next
decade, 2400 acres on the ranchʼs
north side are planned to be developed, though continuing development is contingent upon completion
of several major infrastructure
projects – including provisions for
wastewater collection and treatment.
Properties already constructed are
being serviced by Springs Utilities.
Forging ahead, LFMSDD completed design of the new plant and
finalized easements planned over
20 years ago for the new plantʼs interceptor last year. Project schedule
is intended to result in an operational plant by early 2012. Last fall,
the District received bids to construct the 24- and 30-in.-diameter
PVC interceptor from eight of 11
prequalified contractors. The project
was awarded to Denver-based
Reynolds Inc.
“The property purchased for the
new water reclamation facility was
formerly rangeland,” adds Heckman.
“Most of the five-mile-long interceptor was installed across open range
and farmland with few aboveground
or underground obstructions. But
conditions were more challenging
north of Link Road due to development. And near Ohio Avenue, the
interceptor follows Jimmy Camp
Creek for about 1200 feet and the
work zone required dewatering.”
Groundwater testing in the Jimmy
Camp Creek alluvium was found to
be anywhere from eight to 15 feet
above the new interceptorʼs elevation. Wells were drilled to a 30-ft.
depth on 75-ft. centers to lower the
water table for excavation, with
pumps working about three weeks
before digging in the area began.
Water pumped was discharged to
the creek immediately downstream
of the excavation area under a
CDPHE permit. Dewatering was
performed by subcontractor Kelly
Dewatering & Construction Co. of
Fort Lupton.
“To minimize excavation and
therefore cost,” explains Roger
Sams, PE, a principal with the
Districtʼs Colorado Springs-based
consulting engineers, GMS Inc.,
“the interceptor was laid at a very
flat grade – some at only 14/100 of
a percent. Still, the topography necessitated a trench depth of up to
40 feet near the new plant site and
almost a mile and a half more that
required at least a 20-ft.-deep cut.”
Near the plant, where the excavation was deepest, Reynolds crews
installed a second interceptor parallel to the first that will remain plugged
until needed with future plant expansion. Scrapers were brought in
to over excavate about half the
depth of soil necessary to install the
twin line. Colorado Springs-based
subcontractor Dwire Earthmoving &
Excavating scraped a 28-ft.-wide
strip and Reynolds used excavators
Crews place one of 95 manholes on the
LFMSDD 5-mile interceptor project.
to install the sewer line by cutting
separate trenches on 15-ft. centers.
Because of the very minimal
grade, Reynolds was required to
flow water through each new run of
pipe placed while FSD staff used a
camera to document adequate gravity flow and ensure there are no
ʻbelliesʼ at the joints. Each run of
pipe constituted about 25 sections
of the 14-ft.-long pipe, roughly 350
feet. Reynolds was prohibited from
placing any new pipe until each completed runʼs flow was documented,
but after approving several runs on
their initial tests, the engineer and
owner eased up a little.
“Reynolds really set a new bar
down here,” Sams says. “They
brought in a team of professionals
and the right equipment and followed a strategy that allowed them
to be both precise and productive.”
Sams knows what heʼs talking
about, as he has practiced civil
engineering in Colorado Springs for
over 40 years. Sams and GMS Inc.
co-principal Edward Meyer, PE,
have worked together since 1978,
first as principals in Gilbert, Meyer
Dick Butler and Kevin Strott led the Reynolds Inc. team on the LFMSDD interceptor
project, with Butler serving as project superintendent and Strott as project manager.
Strott has since been promoted to the contractorʼs Colorado operations manager.
GMS Inc.ʼs Jerry Miller, a 22-year employee of the firm, served as resident
project representative.
& Sams Inc., then incorporating
as GMS Inc. in 1990. The company
serves as engineer-of-record for
several municipal and special district clients, undertaking both utility
design and facility evaluation on a
frequent basis. The firm also reviews
subdivision designs and related
submittals on behalf of government
clients for compliance with their
regulations.
“Performing design primarily
within the municipal and special
district areas has afforded the firm
the opportunity to become extensively familiar with the technical
aspects of various projects,” he adds.
“But it has also enabled our staff to
establish excellent working relationships with governing and reviewing
agencies associated with public
works and utilities projects.”
“We viewed this job as two
different jobs,” says Kevin Strott,
Reynolds operations manager, who
served as project manager. “We
started one crew at the southernmost part of the project, working
from the new plant site just south of
Birdsall Road north to Link Road.
We had to excavate to a depth of
around 40 feet near the plant, but
once we crossed Birdsall, we were
really able to be productive across
the wide-open rangeland. A second
crew began working north from Link
across developed areas where
right-of-way was tight, so progress
was naturally slower. For much of
the pipeline here, we were pinched
between homes and railroad tracks.”
Last to be installed was the
The 850D LC is Deereʼs largest excavator, with an operating weight of 185,874 lbs.,
a maximum lift capacity of 54,500 lbs. and a digging depth of just over 31 feet.
Michigan-based Kelly Dewatering &
Construction Co. has a Colorado office
in Fort Lupton.
1200 feet near Ohio Ave. where dewatering was necessary.
“The sandy soils near Ohio
were definitely the most challenging,” Strott adds. “There was no
sign of water though, thanks to the
dewatering.”
To make the connections at Ohio
and Link, subcontractor BTrenchless
Inc. performed auger boring and
installed 36-in.-diameter steel casing under each roadway. Reynolds
crews then fused HDPE pipe together, pulled it through the casing
with an excavator and connected
the ends to manholes.
Extending the new interceptor
north to a connection with CCMD is
expected to begin later this year to
coincide with construction of the new
water reclamation facility. Development of the Jimmy Camp Creek
basin is expected to drive expansion of the plant to where it is truly
a regional facility. But if that never
occurs, the growing community of
Fountain will still have taken measures to provide for its future –
thanks to a fiscally-sound sanitation
district. G
Protective Linings Ensure Structural Integrity Of Precast Concrete
B
acteria thrive within the trapped cate flat panels to spec or create the top end to prevent concrete
confines of sanitary sewers, di- ʻtubesʼ that are form-ready, which is from getting between the liner and
gesting organic matter and creating how we typically order. A continuous form. The rebar cage and outer form
hydrogen sulfide gas that clings to plastic lining is formed that protects are then positioned and the pour is
exposed, wet concrete, becomes concrete substrates against hydro- made, as usual.
After precast sections are inoxidized by the moisture and forms gen sulfide and other sewer gases,
sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is con- acids, alkalis and salts, as well as stalled, PVC strips are hot-air
creteʼs kryptonite, as a process abrasion. T-Lock becomes a perma- welded to each panel at each butt
or lap joint. T-Lock, which remains
known as “biogenic sulfide corro- nent part of the precast product.”
flexible after casting, can be
sion” occurs over time, causpatched in similar fashion.
ing the concrete to slowly
Spray-on epoxy linings are
crumble. The problem in sanalso
available that provide
itary sewer systems led to
excellent chemical resistance,
years of study aimed at develadhesion and long-lasting
oping ways to protect concrete.
service. These epoxies stop
Lining and coating systems
corrosion, eliminate infiltration
were developed that are comand exfiltration and can be
monly used for a wide variety
used to structurally rebuild
of applications today.
severely deteriorated waste“We supply a product
water infrastructure.
called T-Lock® that we cast
For Lower Fountain Metinto the concrete during manropolitan Sewage Disposal
ufacturing,” explains Brian
Districtʼs new interceptor,
Rhees, general manager for
Oldcastle Precast supplied 95
Oldcastle Precastʼs two ColoT-Lock-lined
manholes prorado locations. “T-Lock is an
®, manufactured by Ameron International, is an
T-Lock
duced at the companyʼs Littleextruded PVC product with
continuous T-shaped ribs on extruded PVC sheet that is welded into panels and ton plant. General contractor
shapes and cast into concrete to line and protect it
Reynolds Inc. performed the
one side that mechanically
from chemical deterioration and abrasion.
joint strip welding.
lock into the concrete during
“The specs called for each
The prefabricated tube is posicasting. The material is produced
in sheet form and is electronically tioned over an inner core with the manhole invert to be cast in place,”
heat-welded together to form pan- ribs exposed in the vertical wet-cast says Kevin Strott, Reynoldsʼ project
els. The manufacturer can prefabri- process. A strap is placed around manager at Fountain. “Thatʼs typi-
Oldcastle Precast provided 60 72- and 35 60-in.-diameter manholes on the
LFMSDD interceptor project completed this May. General contractor Reynolds
Inc. poured manhole inverts in accordance with project specifications.
Raven Lining Systemsʼ sprayable epoxies stop corrosion, eliminate infiltration and exfiltration and can be used to structurally
rebuild severely deteriorated wastewater infrastructure.
cal, since it more easily allows the
contractor to make slight elevation
or angle adjustments. But the exposed concrete has to be coated in
the field.”
To apply the coating, Reynolds
brought in Pueblo West-based K.R.
Swerdfeger Construction Inc., a
certified applicator for Raven Lining
Systems.
“The Raven lining that we apply
for sanitary sewers is a two-part
epoxy,” explains KRSCʼs Jason
Bitter, who supervises the firmʼs sixperson manhole rehabilitation crew.
“Itʼs typically a two day process –
prep on day one and spray on day
two.”
Prep involves preparing the
concrete and T-Lock liner to allow
proper adhesion of the epoxy. The
edges of the T-Lock to be overlapped are “burned” with a torch,
which roughens the surface and releases any chemical residual from
the T-Lock extrusion manufacturing
process. After preparing the T-Lock
edges, the concrete is pressure
washed. The epoxy is applied the
next day to dry surfaces, but first, to
overlap the T-Lock, KRSC uses
Raven 150, an adhesive that creates
a sealed interface between the PVC
with Raven 405 epoxy, the manufacturerʼs most-widely used product.
“Raven 405 is applied while the
150 is still tacky,” Bitter continues.
“It adheres very well. To achieve the
desired thickness, it is applied in
multiple coats while still wet. There
is no expansion or contraction: the
wet thickness is the final thickness.
The product not only provides
excellent chemical resistance, itʼs
formulated to provide structural
renewal for rehabilitation of severely
deteriorated wastewater infrastructure.”
K.R. Swerdfeger Construction,
specializing in underground utilities
since its incorporation in 1973, has
provided manhole rehabilitation
utilizing Raven systems for over 10
years and performed numerous rehabilitation projects in New Mexico,
Arizona, Nevada and Utah as well
as Colorado. G
KRSCʼs manhole rehabilitation crew includes, from left, Supervisor Jason
Bitter, Carlos Baca, Joseph Moore, Foreman Ben Weldon, Manuel Ramirez
and Jared Carlile. All are certified applicators for Raven Lining Systems.
Shiny Outlook Keeps Fountain Sanitation District Poised For Growth
W
ith Banning Lewis Ranch development and Fort Carson expansion becoming realities, Lower
Fountain Metropolitan Sewage Disposal District finds itself strategically
located to welcome partners in the
construction of a new wastewater
treatment facility. The District held a
groundbreaking ceremony in May for
the Harold D. Thompson Regional
Water Reclamation Facility, which
will primarily serve the Jimmy Camp
Creek basin. Named in honor of Harold Thompson, a founding member
of the LFMSDD Board, the facility
will process wastewater through
an activated sludge system with
biological nitrogen control, with a
planned build-out treatment capacity
of 6 MGD.
“The groundbreaking celebration
for the Harold D. Thompson Regional
Water Reclamation Facility celebrates the visible beginning of a new
milestone, long overdue, and secures
long-term treatment capacity needs
within the Jimmy Camp Creek
Basin,” said Jim Heckman, manager
of LFMSDD and Fountain Sanitation
District.
The new facility is designed to be
expanded as necessary. Phase 1 of
the ultimate vision addresses projected loading over a 15- to 20-year
design period. Phase 1 will construct
a facility with a 2.5-MGD average
dry weather flow and an organic
load capacity of 7610 lbs. per day.
Effluent disinfection will be with
ultraviolet radiation. Digested sludge
will be dewatered with a belt filter
press for land application disposal.
The operations building includes a
laboratory as well as staff and
public meeting facilities.
“The new plant will provide an
extremely clean discharge,” says
Roger Sams, PE, with GMS Inc.,
the new facilityʼs designers. “The
District works every day to protect
the water quality of Fountain Creek
and that will never change. The new
facility also provides odor control
during preliminary treatment.”
LFMSDD commenced planning
for a regional wastewater facility
immediately after its formation in
1986. The facility is expected to be
complete in January 2012. Englewood-based Weaver General Construction Co. is the Construction
Manager At-Risk.
The District will also embark on
the next phase of the interceptor
project this year, extending it north
to Colorado Centre Metropolitan
District, which will cease pumping to
FSDʼs plant and begin gravity flow
into the Harold D. Thompson plant.
LFMSDD will continue working with
Springs Utilities and Banning Lewis
Ranch on a long-term agreement
to provide wastewater services to
the development, which will involve
extending the interceptor again.
“With the new reclamation facility,” Heckman says, “the District is
demonstrating that we are poised to
welcome new residents. Less than
40 percent of the Fort Carson population lives in on-base housing, and
the base will be growing, and the
Jimmy Creek Camp watershed is
ripe for development. But in addition
to welcoming new service connections, the District is ready to welcome
partners in the new reclamation
facility. This would fulfill the Districtʼs
long-term vision, which has always
recognized the economic and environmental benefits of a modern
facility that truly provides service for
the region.” G
Attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony for LFMSDDʼs Harold D. Thompson Regional Water Reclamation Facility
included, from left: Shelia Venezia, Vintage Development Co.; Richard Christian II, Jim Coke, Bobby Phillips, Jim Heckman
and Harold Thompson, Fountain Sanitation District Board Members; Al Testa, Mike Cantin, Floyd Edwards, Shawn Eccles,
Michael Terry and Joan Treese, Colorado Centre Metropolitan District Board Members. Heckman is District Manager for FSD
and LFMSDD and Testa is District Manager for CCMD.
Re ynolds Inc.
L e a d e r s h i p I n T h e Tr e n c h e s
Chances are, weʼve been on your short
list of underground contractors.
First as Tierdael Construction Co.,
then as Reynolds Tierdael and now as
Reynolds Inc. – one of the largest
utility contractors in the United States.
We remain committed to producing
quality projects in a safe environment.
1775 E. 69th Ave. Denver, CO 80229
30 3- 287 -77 00
www. r e y n o l d s i n c .com