US Government awards US$46m contracts to build two pumping plants for New Mexico Water Supply Project
- September 13, 2020
- Posted by: Lyn Wilson
- Category: Corporate, Engineering, Tenders and Contracts, Water Issues, North America
The US Bureau of Reclamation is building facilities that will provide secure clean and reliable water to the Navajo Nation and rural communities in northwestern New Mexico. In order to meet this goal, US$45,945,150 has been awarded to to Archer Western Construction, LLC of Phoenix, Arizona to construct the following:
- The Tooh Haltsooi Pumping Plant (Pumping Plant Number 4) near the community of Sheep Springs, New Mexico
- Bahastl’ah Pumping Plant (Pumping Plant Number 7) near the communities of Twin Lakes and Coyote Canyon, New Mexico.
Each will have four equally sized pump and motor units with a total capacity of approximately 47.7 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Tooh Haltsooi Pumping Plant and 40.4 cfs at Bahastl’ah Pumping Plant.
The plants are just two of several pumping plants associated with the project and will help convey water through the project pipeline from the San Juan River to Navajo communities and the City of Gallup.
Commissioner Brenda Burman said:
“Today, we take another step to provide clean, reliable water supplies to the Navajo Nation and the other project participants in rural communities.” She added: “These pumping plants will help deliver water from the San Juan River to communities along the San Juan Lateral pipeline.”
The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will provide a long-term, reliable water supply for 43 chapters on the Navajo Reservation, the southwest area of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, and the City of Gallup, New Mexico, which is a 7,814 square mile service area.
When completed, it will include approximately 300 miles of pipeline, two water treatment plants, 19 pumping plants, and multiple water storage tanks.
Under this contract, construction will include:
- Installation of canned vertical turbine pumps and associated electrical and mechanical equipment
- Yard piping
- A water treatment building at the Tooh Haltsooi Pumping Plant site
In addition, a million-gallon water storage tank will be constructed at Tooh Haltsooi Pumping Plant and a 1.5-million-gallon water storage tank will be installed at Bahastl’ah Pumping Plant.
Construction of the two plants is expected to take up to three years, and when completed, each plant and associated structures will occupy just over two acres within a fenced area.