Houston's big bet on big water pipes (Source: ASCE)
By Mackrena L. Ramos, P.E., M.ASCE, Melissa C. Mack, P.E., PMP, M.ASCE, and Panduranga Kuruva, P.E., CCM
The city of Houston manages more than $1.2 billion worth of capital improvement projects for the region’s water system. The ultimate goal: converting the area from groundwater to surface water usage.
Since 2011, the city has designed and constructed more than 300 mi of major water transmission lines across the city, ranging from 24 in. to 120 in. in diameter. Involving multiple agencies and regional partners, the installation of these new transmission lines will transport surface water to regions currently supplied by groundwater, which will allow the area to reduce or eliminate groundwater pumpage and rely more on surface water.