Project Update: Lake Mead Low Lake Level Pumping Station (L3PS)

In May 2015, Barnard entered into a $440 million Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) contract with the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) for the L3PS Project. As of December 2018 all of the underground excavation and construction has been completed. Additionally the steel bulkhead dome has been removed which now connects the Pumping Station to the previously constructed Intake No. 3 tunnel filling the underground forebay with water from Lake Mead.

Concurrent with the underground construction, the Above-ground Pumping Station work continues with the 108- to 144-in. Discharge piping installation, Valve Vaults fit-out, pumping station base slab construction, and Electrical/Maintenance Building construction. The project has also received and stored the 18 of 32-each, 3,150-plus horsepower submersible pumps capable of pumping 30 mgd. All work is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

The underground work includes: 525-ft deep x 26-ft diameter Access Shaft; bulkhead to allow for future expansion; 80-ft deep x 26-ft diameter Riser Shaft to connect to existing Intake No. 3 connector tunnel; 33-ft wide x 36-ft high x 400-ft long horseshoe-shaped Forebay Cavern; Forebay Connector Tunnel; and 34 drilled 8-ft diameter x 500-ft deep pump well shafts with steel-lined 6-ft diameter casings. The Above-ground Pumping Station and accompanying appurtenances include: 32-each 30 mgd submersible pumps; valves and discharge header piping; surge tank, concrete valve vaults, electrical controls and starting equipment for the pumps; electrical control building; electrical feed from an onsite substation; and 5,550 lf of 144-in. discharge aqueducts for connecting the new pumping station to the existing water treatment plants.

Design Engineer: MW/Hill A Joint Venture; Construction Manager: Parsons Corp.
SNWA: Peter Jauch, Director of Engineering; Erika Moonin, Project Manager. Parsons: Kevin Ulrey, Construction Manager. MW/HILL: Ted Davis and Steve Hunt, Lead Engineers. Barnard: Operations Manager, Dan Schall; Project Manager, Jordan Hoover; Project Superintendent, Andy Granger; Underground Superintendent, Mike Gilbertson; Superintendents, Engineers, and Safety: Tracey Chambers, Tyler Askin, Marc MeieSalgado, Cody Cupp, Nick Bowerman, Alex Casilla, Jeff Porter, Klaus Herbert, Bill Kiehl, Joerg Moser, Jake Richardson, Aaron Rustan, Peter Turlington, Dan Heroux, Soctt Evans, Justin Zandt, John Doerr, Kyle Simmons, Mathew Jackson, and Shawn Tezak.