Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage System

CHALLENGE

The widening of IH-35 from Laredo to the Red River is one of TxDOT’s highest priorities. So, when the City of Waco received notice that TxDOT was moving forward with widening the Interstate Highway, and that the City was responsible for the relocation of one of its largest lift stations (the Flat Creek Lift Station), the City reached out to Walker Partners to relocate the 8-MGD lift station.

Simultaneously, the City of Waco engaged Walker Partners to perform a feasibility study for transporting Type I reuse water from the Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewer System (WMARSS) Central Wastewater Treatment Plant and delivering it to one of the major industrial districts within the greater Waco area. Walker Partners immediately seized the opportunity to create an innovative solution to solve both of these challenges.

SOLUTION

Walker Partners’ understanding of the regional wastewater system for the entire Waco metropolitan area was our basis for creating a regional, economical solution that included the following:

Instead of relocating the existing 8-MGD Lift Station which would only satisfy TxDOT’s requirement to remove the facility from the future highway expansion, Walker Partners recommended to design and construct a new gravity interceptor to take the lift station completely off-line. WMARSS embraced this alternative and authorized our Team to proceed into the Design phase.

This new gravity interceptor (known as the Flat Creek Interceptor) provides 21.5 MGD of wastewater conveyance capacity to the WMARSS regional wastewater collection system whereby the old Flat Creek Lift Station and force main only had a capacity of 8 MGD. The Flat Creek Lift Station was a severe weak link in the WMARRS system because it was receiving approximately 14.5 MGD of peak wastewater flows, resulting in catastrophic overflows.

This new Flat Creek Interceptor provides wastewater capacity for 25 years of growth in one of the largest drainage basins experiencing the highest growth in Waco, Hewitt, Woodway, and Robinson. The interceptor includes 19,000 linear feet of 42-inch diameter interceptor and 25,000 linear feet of 36-inch diameter interceptor.

The Reclaimed Waterline has the capacity to deliver 7 MGD of Type I reuse water to Waco’s largest industrial region via 43,000 linear feet of 20-inch purple pipeline.

VALUE

 Through innovative planning, analysis and design, strategic bidding, and sound construction management and inspection, Walker Partners delivered the $20,000,000 budgeted project for $8,633,000, or 42% under budget. By performing all of the engineering and surveying services in-house, Walker Partners surveyed, negotiated, and secured all 27 required easements at a cost to our Client 25% below the estimated budget. 100% of the easements were recorded prior to the issuance of the Advertisement for Bids!

Finally, the entire project duration, including design, preparation of drawings and specifications, bidding, easement acquisition, and construction was only 30 months from start to finish! A complete, regional, long-term wastewater solution benefiting four WMARSS cities and a reuse water system benefiting the entire region all ignited from the spark to relocate a lift station for the expansion of IH-35.  

completion date: 2011

location: waco, Tx