Water Treatment Plant Expansion
Project Summary
The Town is working to upgrade and expand the capacity of the existing Water Treatment Plant to handle current and future population growth in Johnstown. The project’s design phase began in 2021, with actual plant improvements and construction to follow. The Water Treatment Plant expansion is projected to increase the Town's water treatment capacity from its current 6.2 million gallons per day (MGD) to 12MGD with the ability to expand to 21MGD in the future.
Project Timeline & Key Milestones
- Design will continue through 2023 with final construction plans anticipated in early 2024
- Construction – TBD
For more project information, contact:
Ellen Hilbig, Utilities Director
ehilbig@johnstownco.gov
(970) 578-4664
Project Updates & Impacts
Town Staff received a conceptual design for the project in July. The design engineer is continuing to work with Town Staff to set the final alignment from Lone Tree to the Water Treatment Plant. The primary focus is between Lone Tree Reservoir and Highway 287, which has multiple constraints. The Town and the design engineer have been coordinating with property owners, Home Supply Ditch Company, the TPC golf course, and utility providers to coordinate the design. Meetings have been held with neighboring jurisdictions to determine their review and permitting processes.
Project Goals
- Expand the capacity of the current Water Treatment Plant to handle current and future population growth in Johnstown
- Upgrade water treatment equipment and infrastructure to deliver High-quality water to residents
- Better equip Town Staff to handle taste and odor compounds that are found in the Town’s raw water supplies
Project Benefits
- High-quality water for resident consumption and use
- Expanded water treatment capacity for current and future Johnstown residents
- Increased ability to utilize more of the Town's water supply during times of peak demand
- Increase the Town’s resiliency to provide water during peak demand.
- Increase the Town’s ability to treat for Taste and Odor by installing equipment in a conditioned space.
Project Cost & Funding
This project is financed by the Water Fund, one of Johnstown’s enterprise funds. The Water Fund is responsible for the maintenance, expansion and capital improvements of the water treatment and delivery infrastructure in Town.
- Previous Project Updates
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February 2023 Update - Town Staff, the design engineer, and the owner’s representative have met and reviewed the membrane proposals. Town Staff will start contract negotiations with the selected firm and intend to have a Professional Services agreement in the coming weeks. The selected CMAR was awarded on February 6 to MWH Constructors.
December 2022 Update - An RFP has been issued to solicit proposals from several membrane manufacturers. The Town received 3 proposals for prospective CMAR contractors. These proposals are being considered by staff and the owner's rep and the CMAR contract for pre-construction services will be awarded in January 2023.
November 2022 Update - Town staff, the design engineer, and the owner's rep continue to work together to select the criteria for the membranes and new site layout options. Once the criteria are set, the Town will issue an RFP for selecting the membrane package. Staff has already issued an RFP to select a CMAR for design review services and should be awarding the CMAR contract by the end of 2022.
October 2022 Update - Town staff, the design engineer, and the owner's rep are working together to select the criteria for the membranes. The criteria is based on Town priorities and Council vision and the membranes, simplistically, are the treatment options for the water. Once the criteria are chosen, the Town will issue an RFP to solicit proposal for selecting the equipment from membrane manufacturers. This RFP should be expected by the end of the year. Additionally, Town Staff is working on issuing an RFP to select a CMAR for design services.
September 2022 Update - This month, the Utilities Department met with Town Council at a public work session as well as at a following Council Meeting, to discuss changes to this project. Project crews working through design and testing were noting higher levels of geosmin in the water than initially measured leading the Utilities Department to determine that a switch to a membrane/GAC system water treatment plan would better serve residents and continue to positively impact taste and odor issues. The Design Engineer has submitted the 30% plans and met with operations to review. The owner’s representative, Blue Water Engineering, is on board and assisting Town Staff in making key decisions. The design engineer is currently working on preparing a 40% design package for the membrane/GAC system. Town Staff is continuing to work with the design engineer and the owner’s representative as the design progresses.
August 2022 Update - The pilot test for the design of ozone treatment systems and filters is complete. The design engineer has submitted 30% design plans and has met with plant operations to review. Blue Water Engineering, the owner's representative, is working closely with Town Staff in making key decisions related to the Water Treatment Plant Expansion as the design reaches 60%.
July 2022 Update - As a reminder, this project will double the Town's water treatment capacity from 6million gallons per day to 12million gallons per day. This means that the Town will be able to treat more water, more quickly, ensuring current and future residents access to better water service, including better water pressure. During the Treatment Plant Expansion design, the Town has contracted with Blue Water as the owner's representative and continues to anticipate 60% design in September.
A design pilot test for the design of the ozone treatment systems and filters is currently ongoing and will continue until mid-August. This should not impact residents.
June 2022 Update - A design pilot test for the design of ozone treatment systems and filters is currently underway. The pilot tests related to the design of ozone treatment systems and filters will be in place until mid August. The Town and the Design Engineer continue to work through next steps to obtain a Construction Contractor and Owners Representative to assist in the design review as the Town is anticipating 60% design drawings in September.
May 2022 Update - The plant conducted its final pretreatment testing with the Reservoir online. Results from both pilot programs are promising that the Town is able to treat the amount of water required to upgrade the plant through the existing system. A pilot test for the design of ozone treatment systems is currently underway. The Design Engineer has submitted 30% plans and met with operations to review. The Town and the Design Engineer are working through next steps to obtain a Construction Contractor and Owners Representative to assist in the design review and then site construction.
April 2022 Update - As the Johnstown Reservoir will be filled by the first week of May, the second pilot program should kick off once the reservoir is completely filled. By this same time, Utilities will have 30% design completion as well. The Town and the design engineer are working towards getting a construction contractor on board for the site construction.
March 2022 Update - The project remains in the design phase with initial pilot program complete. A second pilot program will be necessary in April-May when the Johnstown reservoir comes back online to provide water. The Johnstown reservoir is currently empty as there is work being done on the reservoir dam. Once the reservoir is refilled, the second pilot program will provide the final data related to the amount of water than can be treated through the system.
February 2022 Update - This project is still in the site design phase with a pilot program scheduled for March for pre-treatment process trial runs. This pilot project aims to provide the Town and contractor with more information about how much water can be treated and what pre-treatment process should be considered for the new treatment plant.
January 2022 Update - The Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project is in the site design phase. The goal of this project is to upgrade and extend the capacity of the existing water plant to handle current and future population growth. The Design Engineer is putting together a conceptual site layout and collecting data to drive the design process.
December 2021 Update - This project is still undergoing site design. At this time, the project is on track.
November 2021 Update - This project is still in the design phase and the Town's contractor continues to collect utility data to evaluate the site and design needs.
October 2021 Update - As of November 1, 2021, this project is still in the design phase. The Town's contractor is in the process of collecting utility data to evaluate the site and design needs.
September 2021 Update - The final contract has been determined and the kick off meeting for this project happened in September. The project is now in the design phase.
August 2021 Update - The RFP has been closed and contract negotiations are being conducted to determine final contract award. The bid will be awarded by Fall 2021 and more information about project phasing and expectations will come after that.
June 2021 Update - The Water Treatment Plant Expansion RFP is currently out for bid and should be awarded by Fall 2021. Please check Town Council Meeting Agendas for the specific Council Meeting related to the awarding of this RFP.
April & May 2021 Update – The Town is in the process of evaluating which design direction to pursue in order to address Taste & Odor water quality issues. The proposals for the Design RFP on the Water Treatment Plant Expansion project are under review with the intent to award in the next month in order to start moving forward on design plans.
January 2021 Update – The Town posted an RFP on December 30, 2020 to hire an engineering firm to design the expansion of the Water Treatment Plant from 5 MGD to 10 MGD. Bids are due on February 5, 2021 with a planned recommendation to Council in March 2021.
July 2021 Update - Construction of the water tank is still scheduled for September 2021, weather permitting. The related pipeline will be going out for bid in the coming months with award announced shortly after.
June 2021 Update - Construction of the water tank will begin in September 2021 weather permitting. The associated pipeline will be going out for bid in August
April & May 2021 Update - Town Staff is in the process of executing Contract Documents with the awarded construction contractor, CB&I Storage Tank Solutions. Construction is anticipated to start during the summer of 2021.