Houston Public Works water line project receives Project of the Year award from TX-APWA

(UI) – Houston Public Works (HPW), Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam, Inc. (LAN), and Harper Brothers Construction, LLC (HBC) have received the Texas Chapter of the American Public Works Association (TX-APWA) 2023 Project of the Year Award for Environment, $25M-$75M category, for the SWTP 72-inch Water Line from Emancipation to Tuam. The award will be presented at the Waco Convention Center during this year’s Mammoth TX-APWA Public Works Conference and Exhibition on Wednesday, June 28.

The 72-inch water line is part of HPW’s Surface Water Transmission Program (SWTP). The overall goal of the SWTP is to reduce ground subsidence in the Houston area by increasing surface water usage, decreasing groundwater use, and improving the reliability of the water supply system.

In addition to the 72-inch diameter water line, the project included full roadway reconstruction, drainage improvements, traffic signalization improvements, street lighting improvements, sidewalk improvements, and small-diameter water line replacements.  This segment, the first in a series of four such projects, began in East Downtown and ended in Midtown.

Carol Haddock, Director of Houston Public Works, says, “This project created resilience in the drinking water transmission system and replaced nearly 8,000 feet of distribution lines to upgrade some of Houston’s older infrastructure. Crews made improvements to drainage, sidewalks, and streetlights to benefit communities in two council districts. These changes will lay a foundation to improve the quality of life for generations to come.”

The construction work, beginning in the spring of 2020 and reaching completion in the summer of 2022, overcame numerous challenges, including pandemic-related supply issues and the record-breaking Winter Storm Uri.

Christine Kirby, PE, ENV SP, LAN’s project manager, says, “There was nothing ordinary about this multi-faceted, multi-discipline project. Inherent challenges included working in a dense urban environment with mature trees and crowded utilities. In addition to the large-scale underground construction and rehabilitation work, special care and attention was given to enhance above-ground features and aesthetics of the local community.  A team-oriented approach between the City, the engineering team, and the Contractor was key to the success of the project,” said Kirby.

Thanks to HPW’s ongoing water system expansion projects, Houston’s drinking water system maintains a “Superior Water Supply System” rating, the highest rating for water quality issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

 

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