Betasso Area Pipelines Replacement Project

• Project Description 
• Project Objectives
• Project Documents
• Project Timeline
• Contacts
• Questions or Comments?

For the remainder of August, crews will be completing the pipe installation on the north side of S.H. 119 (just east of the tunnel). Please call the project hotline (or visit Cone Zones) at 303-441-1888 for details concerning daily activities and traffic delays.

The Link Trail (located on the east side of Betasso Preserve) will remain closed until at least Monday, Aug. 31, 2009. The closure is necessary to maintain safety while excavation work takes place near the trail. The base of the trail, at S.H. 119, will be used for material and equipment storage, which will also require restricting access to S.H. 119 from the trail. Parking will in the area will also be restricted. 

Also, please note that work areas are dangerous! If an area is barricaded, fenced, or signed, only authorized personnel should enter. Please help us ensure your safety by staying clear of all work zones.  

For more project construction and traffic updates visit Cone Zones. 

For construction e-mail updates, subscribe to the Betasso Area Pipelines Replacement Project e-mail list.  Follow the above link, choose "pw-betasso-pipelines-replacement-news" from the drop-down list and subscribe to receive the latest news and project updates. Once construction begins, traffic restriction and project information will be sent to this e-mail list frequently.  

Interested parties can also receive current project information and leave a voicemail concerning any questions or comments by calling the project hotline at 303-441-1888. Messages will be checked on a daily basis during construction. 

Project Description:

The City of Boulder Utilities Division proposes to replace portions of the Orodell Pipeline and Betasso Penstock located in the vicinity of the Betasso Water Treatment Plant ( map). Completion of this project would increase both untreated and treated water supply reliability, as well as mitigate treated water quality problems that can occur as a result of monthly hydroelectric facility capacity testing. In addition, revenue from hydroelectric power generation and payments for facility capacity would increase.

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Project Objectives:

The Utilities Division proposes to construct a new, 30" diameter, welded steel and concrete mortar pipeline to replace the existing 20" pipeline from the Boulder Canyon Hydroelectric facility to the Betasso Hydroelectric facility.  The new pipeline would parallel the existing 20" line. The new 30" pipeline would achieve several significant objectives:

• The new 30" pipeline would allow the city to deliver 30 million gallons of water per day from Barker Reservoir to the Betasso Water Treatment Plant, improving redundancy in the city's water system and the city's ability to meet its adopted water supply reliability criteria.
• The existing 20" pipeline would be reused to replace the upland portion of the existing Orodell Pipeline. Conversion to a less demanding (lower pressure) use would extend the useful life of the pipeline and delay a significant portion of the capital cost for the eventual replacement of the Orodell Pipeline.
• The existing Orodell Pipeline would be converted to a discharge line to allow discharge of raw water from the Betasso and Lakewood Hydroelectric Facilities to Boulder Creek.  By recycling the existing line, water treatment problems associated with monthly capacity tests would be alleviated.
• The new pipeline would allow the Betasso Hydroelectric facility to achieve its design generation capacity of 3.2 megawatts (current generation capacity is limited to 2.7 megawatts due to the smaller pipeline that feeds the hydroelectric generators) and would increase revenue to the water utility under the existing power sales agreement with Xcel Energy. The increased hydroelectric generation would displace the need to burn approximately 18,000 tons of coal to produce an equivalent amount of energy at a coal-fired generation plant.

The proposed project meets the general goals for the city's water utility:

• Management of facilities to increase the reliability of the municipal water supply system.
• Generation of hydroelectric power where feasible to maximize the city's generation of clean, renewable energy and power sales revenues while maintaining hydroelectric power production as a by-product of a water supply system driven by municipal water demand.
• Establishing and maintaining instream flows in north and middle Boulder Creeks and Boulder Creek.

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Project Documents:

•  Responses to questions and comments concerning the 1041 permit
•  Community & Environmental Assessment Process (CEAP) - updated Nov. 20, 2006
•  Betasso Water Treatment Plant Pipelines Project Final Summary Report
•  City of Boulder Hydropower Availability Memo
• The 1041 permit application to Boulder County is available upon request, inquire with contact information provided below

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Project Timeline:

• Dec. 3, 2008 - Bid Opening
• Jan. 7, 2009 - Contract awarded
• January through March 2009 - Final preparations for construction
• April to December 2009 - Project construction

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Existing Layout:

 Proposed Layout

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Contacts:

Joseph Taddeucci, Utilities Project Manager
303-441-3205
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Robert Harberg, Utilities Project Coordinator
303-441-3124
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Last Updated on Thursday, 20 August 2009 09:57