C+S October 2021 Vol. 7 Issue 10

with typical construction issues. Once it was designed, construction was pretty smooth. The pandemic occurred during construction of the plant, and that certainly didn’t help.” Powerful Pumping Station Water is pumped through the system via a 12,800 square feet pump station, which will push out up to 73 million gallons per day. The station includes one pump of 700 horsepower, and 5 pumps of 1,250 hp. The powerful system can deliver more than 63,000 gallons per minute. The station has a delivery capacity of 10,500 acres, pump- ing water at 140 cubic feet per second at 345 feet total dynamic head. The pumps pull water out of the canal and are delivered based on daily orders of irrigators who bought water on long term contracts. The intake structure includes a sump that is 35 feet to 86-feet wide, 80 feet long and 18 feet deep. It includes 820 cubic yards of concrete and 145,000 pounds of rebar. The pumps deliver water to 46,892 feet (8.88 miles) of pipelines that are 14 to 60-inch in diameter with 15 turnouts. “This is the first pumping plant in the project and the lands that it serves is what makes this pump station unique,’’ said Jon Erickson of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District and project manager of the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Project. “This is an important step in getting water to the farmers that need it.” The ECBID designed the pumping station, which was built by Good- man & Mehlenbacher Enterprises, Inc. Accessing Pumps The pumps are an important part of the project, but installing and ac- cessing the pumps when they eventually need replacement was one of the important design considerations in the station’s construction. About the Project What: EL47.5 is the first pumping station to become operational in the Odessa Ground Water Replacement Project in Washington. Why: The water system is needed to support farmers and others due to an aquifer that has fallen more than 200 feet since 1980. The project: The distribution system includes more than nine miles of pipes, six pumps, and a pump house. The project cost $20.8 million. Extensive reach: The system will deliver water to 10,500 acres, pumping out water at the rate of 63,000 gallons per minute. Accessing pumps: The heavy duty pumps are accessed for repair and replacement through six roof hatches manufactured by BILCO. Did you know? Groundwater in the Odessa Subarea has been depleted to such an extent that water must be pumped fromwells as deep as 2,400 feet – nearly half a mile.

Teams will access the pumps through six roof hatches manufactured by The BILCO Company. The custom hatches, 6-feet, 6-inches x 7-feet, are fabricated with polycarbonate dome covers for natural daylight and engineered lift assistance for easy, one-hand operation. They are also modified for hand winch operation, allowing them to be easily opened and closed from inside the building. The aluminum hatches, which were supplied by Anderson Specialties, were custom-fabricated to meet unique size requirements. “They were proposed by the contractor and met the specs that we required,’’ Erick- son said. “They were also important because they allowed pump and The system includes six pumps which will be accessed for maintenance and removal through six customized roof hatches manufactured by BILCO. Photo: Cody Wurzer

motor access by crane.” Subsidence Issues

The issues with groundwater depletion that Washington is encounter- ing is common throughout the United States. The problems, however, go deeper than the lack of water.

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october 2021

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