SAWS Silverhorn Golf Course Rehab Package

Project Purpose

This project for the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) was part of SAWS’ Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Program to address the SAWS Consent Decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Justice (DOJ). The purpose of the Consent Decree is to protect San Antonio residents by reducing overflows from the city sewer system that occur due to the failure of aging pipes.

The Silverhorn Golf Course Rehabilitation Package included approximately 5,000 LF of 24- to 30-inch diameter deteriorated wastewater main located at the Silverhorn Golf Course and the Park at West Avenue Apartments, which were rehabilitated using cured-in-place pipe (CIPP).

Project Approach

As the prime consultant, KFA provided CIPP and bypass design for the sewer rehab. We also managed subconsultants performing survey, archaeological, environmental, and cost estimating work, and led meetings with SAWS. KFA coordinated with the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), City of San Antonio (Floodplain, Office of Historic Preservation, Parks, Trees), and TxDOT.

The keys to success for this project came down to the following elements:

• Cost Savings: During construction, the contractor televised an additional 1,300 linear feet of 24-inch pipe that was shut down as part of the bypass plan. Like much of the existing pipe included in the original project scope, this pipe was in poor condition. KFA recommended that SAWS reline this additional footage using available funds within the existing contract. This approach saved SAWS approximately $1 million by avoiding bypassing, mobilization, and protective matting costs for a future rehabilitation project, as well as additional engineering costs and coordination with the golf course.
• Environmental Mitigation: Given the location in the golf course and near SARA’s Walker Ranch Dam, KFA performed extensive coordination to limit impacts to the business and avoid potential water quality impacts caused by heavy equipment access to the project. KFA worked with the golf course and the City of San Antonio’s arborist’s office to design a flexible access route that would limit the amount of tree clearing. KFA proposed HDPE matting for haul routes, preventing extensive restoration requirements and potential issues with runoff from conventional aggregate base materials typically used for temporary roads.
• Golf Course Coordination: Coordination with the Silverhorn Golf Course during this project was critical to the project’s success since they would experience major impacts during construction. KFA led numerous meetings with key golf course personnel to discuss the construction process, types of equipment to be anticipated, working hours, schedule limitations for tournaments, access and bypass pumping routes, and golf course restoration. We incorporated known tournament dates into the contract documents so the golf course’s major activities wouldn’t be impacted. KFA also created an allowance line item for Golf Course Restoration for disturbance to fairways and greens, requiring the use of one of the contractors listed in the specifications, who were pre-approved by the golf course. The use of familiar contractors helped ensure that the final grading and seeding in the fairways and greens was acceptable to the golf course.

Project Results

Rehabilitation of the wastewater main was completed on time and within budget in 2020.