SAWS 2020 Street Maintenance Program Package III

Pipeline Reconstruction for San Antonio’s Street Maintenance Program

Project Purpose

As part of the City’s Street Maintenance Program (SMP), the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) requested engineering design services for the replacement of approximately 2,500 linear feet of 6-inch to 12-inch water mains and 3,000 linear feet of 8-inch wastewater mains. SAWS reviewed the ages and conditions of the existing pipes and determined that replacement was necessary to prevent main breaks or collapses that could cause significant community impacts.

Project Approach

KFA served as the prime consultant for the design, bid, and construction management phases of the project. We provided open-cut design; managed the surveying and Subsurface Utility Exploration (SUE) subconsultant; developed the project schedule; and coordinated with the City of San Antonio (CoSA) to obtain a tree permit and a floodplain development permit, as a portion of the project located on Morales Street was partially located within the floodplain.

Even on smaller diameter pipeline construction at standard depths, impacts to residents and businesses can still be significant and must be considered during both design and construction. Over the course of this project, KFA employed the following measures to minimize disruption to the local community:

  • KFA helped SAWS and CoSA lead a public meeting with nearby residents to describe the project, discuss the potential impacts to their neighborhood, and listen to their feedback about issues in the area. KFA incorporated this feedback to address concerns during construction, and no public complaints were received.
  • A portion of the project located along E. Huff Avenue included construction in front of Wright Elementary School during the school year. To minimize impacts to school operations, we modified construction hours and coordinated extensively with the school for shutdowns related to tie-ins and other construction activities.
  • Numerous utilities were located at both the Huff Avenue and Morales Street construction sites, so KFA performed extensive SUE to locate each utility and avoid conflicts.

During the construction phase of the project, KFA reviewed submittals, responded to requests for information, and led monthly construction progress meetings. Construction was completed ahead of schedule with no change orders.

Project Results

KFA completed the design of the updated water and wastewater mains in January 2019. Construction was completed in August 2019.