Designing a water transmission main requires precise engineering. When it’s at the base of a mountain? It’s even more complex.

That's exactly what we're doing on the southwestern edge of Phoenix, near the community of Laveen, Arizona, where we're installing a second water main. This infrastructure is crucial to address rapid growth in the area, said Matt Tsark, our project manager.

"The new water line will support the growth of businesses, residents, new subdivisions, and schools." 

“The new water line will not only safeguard and enhance drinking water, but will support the growth of businesses, residents, new subdivisions, and schools in the area,” he said.

In addition to the new 16-inch water main, we’re adding 21 fire hydrants and integrating new service connection points into the existing water distribution system. Our designs also add new valves and include cathodic protection. These enhancements will increase water circulation, which means more and better water for communities.

"The city needed more redundancy in their system and brought us in to expand and enhance their current water infrastructure,” Matt said. “Adding the second water line increases redundancy, reliability, and overall water quality.”

It was a team effort. We secured necessary permits and coordinated with utilities, the public transportation agency, and other design stakeholders to make the new water main possible.

"The project is now under construction,” Matt said. “Olsson started from initial concept designs and alignments to geotechnical and survey all the way through final engineering. It's fulfilling to see the water infrastructure being built after years of collaboration and hard work."

From the start, our survey and geotechnical experts set the project up for success. Their analysis of the site and tests of shallow bedrock at South Mountain were critical. It assured the feasibility of the water line and provided valuable insights to inform our precise designs.