LOW LAKE LEVEL PUMP STATION

  • SOUTHERN NEVADA WATER AUTHORITY

  • BOULDER CITY, NV

  • DELIVERY METHOD: CMAR

  • CONSTRUCTION COST: $650M

  • CONSTRUCTION DATES: 2015 – 2020

The Low Lake Level Pump Station (L3PS) is a $650 million, CMAR delivered, multi-phase project consisting of the planning, design, and construction of a 1.02 billion gallon/day (BGD) raw water conveyance system.  The L3PS supplies up to 1.02 BGD (design capacity) to two water treatment facilities that provide drinking water to the City of Las Vegas and neighboring communities. The L3PS was constructed to maintain sustainability in providing raw water to SNWA and the Las Vegas drinking water supply as Lake Mead’s elevation continues to drop. This project included the integration and interconnection with approximately 2 miles of newly constructed 144” aqueduct and was tied into the existing 144” conveyance system.  The project consists of thirty-four (34) 30 MGD, 15kV submersible vertical turbine pumps set 417’ below the well pad, a 69kV electrical substation, a supporting Electric Maintenance Building, an open top surge tank, a 15’ x 115’ hydropneumatic tank, one 84” valve vault, two 108” valve vaults, two 120” valve vaults, and one 144” valve vault. 

JHE planned, managed, implemented and directed the commissioning phase of the L3PS project, including developing the overall Commissioning and Startup (C&SU) Plan and all the individual unit process test packages. JHE inspected the entire electrical system during installation, coordinated with a third-party firm to configure motor protection relays, and ensured settings recommended in the project coordination study were implemented.  JHE completed functional testing of the 13.8kV switchgear and completed functional and performance testing on all pumps, valve vaults, instrumentation, and controls.  JHE’s testing efforts prior to energizing the pumps was instrumental and resulted in all 34 pumps starting on the first attempt and nearly all in the correct rotation.  Each pump was put through an initial two hour run, and all pumps were subjected to performance testing to confirm individual capacity.  Due the planning efforts and the level of communication and coordination put forth by JHE, the project’s commissioning phase was flawlessly executed, and L3PS was placed online in early Q2 2020 and on schedule.