Board Projects

Project Description:  Replaced aging infrastructure and added new tie-in looping connections to the existing system in the following locations:

    ~1650 Dell Range Blvd to Prairie Ave.

    ~Converse Ave to Henderson Dr.

    ~Powderhouse Rd to Frontier Mall Dr

    ~Stillwater Ave From Driftwood Dr to Meadowland Dr

    ~Stinson Ave to 400' W of Grant Ave

    ~W Jefferson Rd to Church Ave

Justification:  The water distribution system includes approximately 300 miles of ductile, concrete, steel, asbestos cement and PVC piping.  The life expectancy of these piping systems is generally between 40 and 100 years. Regular and systematic replacement is more cost effective and less disruptive to customers than repairing breaks.  Current pipe failures are approximately 50 breaks per year.  Current operating and engineering judgement recommends renewing the entire system approximately every 100 years or 3 miles per year.  This renewal rate should be re-evaluated if the break rates change significantly and as the system grows.

Project Description:  Lined aging sewer infrastructure in the following locations:

    ~Dry Creek North

    ~W 15th St

    ~Alexander Avenue

    ~House Ave

    ~W 5th Avenue

    ~Grove Drive

    ~W Leisher

    ~W 5th St

    ~King Court

    ~Deming Blvd

Justification:  The water distribution system includes approximately 300 miles of piping and numerous manholes.  The life expectancy of these systems is generally between 40 and 100 years. Regular and systematic replacement is more cost effective and less disruptive to customers than repairing failed pipelines and manholes.  Current operating and engineering judgement recommends renewing the entire system approximately every 150 years or 2 miles per year.  This renewal rate should be re-evaluated if the failure rates change significantly and as the system grows.

Project Description:  The Sherard Water Treatment Plant has three (3) flocculation tanks.  This project rehabilitated one (1) flocculation tank during the 2019 fiscal year which included:

1.  Removing mixing equipment,
2.  Removing epoxy coating and surface preparation,
3.  Applying epoxy coating,
4.  Purchasing replacement mixing equipment,
5.  Installing mixing equipment.

Justification:  After 16 years of use, the epoxy coatings in the flocculation tanks at the Sherard Water Treatment Plant are starting to delaminate and need replacement.  The mixing equipment is also starting to pit and break due to corrosion and needs replacement.

Before Rehabilitation Picture:

Project Location:  Sherard Water Treatment Plant

Project Description:  The Sherard Water Treatment Plant has eight (8) filters.  This project rehabilitated one (1) filter bay during fiscal year 2019 by conducting the following:
1.  Removing the old filter media,
2.  Patching the grout between the underdrain tiles,
3.  Removing the existing epoxy coating from the filter walls,
4.  Applying a mortar base on the filter walls,
5.  Applying a new epoxy coating,
6.  Purchasing and replacing the filter media.

Justification:  After 16 years of use, the epoxy coatings in the filter bays at the Sherard Water Treatment Plant are starting to delaminate and need replacement.  The grout between the underdrain tiles in the filters is also developing holes that allow media to pass below the underdrain tiles. The media below the tiles mobilizes during backwashing and restricts flow through the underdrain tiles. This reduces filter media cleaning during backwashing cycles. If not addressed, the filters would decrease filter efficiency and produce lower quality water.

Before Rehabilitation Picture:

After Rehabilitation Picture:

Project Location:  Northwest corner of the Laramie County Community College property (manhole number 120MH053) to College Dr. and Cedar Ave along the Allison Draw drainage

Project Description:  The project serves future development roughly between the South Cheyenne Water and Sewer District (SCWSD) and I-25. The project includes approximately 1.5 miles of 24" to 27" diameter sanitary sewer interceptor. The developer is working on an accelerated schedule to meet an immediate market demand for housing. The project is structured as a public private partnership (3P). The developer will design and construct the project. An equitable cost share will be negotiated between the developer and BOPU. The housing project will come on line before the interceptor is completed. A temporary lift station is planned to operate while the permanent solution is under design and construction, if needed (i.e., homes complete before sewer interceptor).

Justification:  The original plan was to pump some of these flows over the ridge into the Crow Creek Interceptor.  The Crow Creek Interceptor is approaching capacity limits and should be reserved for growth within the Crow Creek basin.  This project also builds on the Southern Sewer and Lift Station projects to serve developing areas in south Cheyenne outside of SCWSD's boundaries, specifically south of College Ave and west of S. Greeley Hwy.  The 3P delivery allows the project schedule to advance more rapidly than could be delivered under normal BOPU procurement processes.

Project Location:  Crow Creek Interceptor Main - immediate concern east of Holliday Basin tie-in location (i.e., east of refinery)

Project Description:  2019 flow measurements indicate the Crow Creek Interceptor is approaching full capacity.  Options to increase capacity or re-direct future flows will be identified and evaluated.

Justification:  Development interests at North Range Business Park, Swan Ranch Industrial Park, Warren Air Force Base, and other central-western locations will contribute flows that exceed the interceptor capacity.  Solutions are needed ahead of development.

Project Location:  Sherard Water Treatment Plant

Project Description:  The Sherard Water Treatment Plant has three (3) flocculation tanks.  This project rehabilitates one (1) flocculation tank each year.  This process includes:
1.  Removing mixing equipment,
2.  Removing epoxy coating and surface preparation,
3.  Apply epoxy coating,
4.  Purchasing replacement mixing equipment,
5.  Installing mixing equipment.

Two flocculation tanks have been rehabilitated following the above process.  The third flocculation tank will be rehabilitated in fiscal year 2020.

Justification:  After 16 years of use, the epoxy coatings in the floc tanks at the Sherard Water Treatment Plant are starting to delaminate and need replacement.  The mixing equipment is also starting to pit and break due to corrosion and needs replacement

Project Location:  Varies throughout the water distribution system and generally (not entirely) focused in areas where 1980's era ductile iron pipe was installed.  Locations are coordinated with City street projects annually in the fall. 

Project Description:  Replace aging infrastructure and add new tie-in looping connections to the existing system in the following locations:
    ~Southwest Drive (new construction)
    ~5249 Yellowstone (replace 8” DIP)
    ~5320 Yellowstone (new construction)
    ~6001 Yellowstone (new construction)
    ~Cheyenne Place (Logan Ave to Converse)
    ~Nationway (Henderson to east to loop main)
    ~Creighton (Evers to Bishop)
    ~King Arthur (Ogden to Point Bluff)
    ~Sagebrush (Chappell Hill to Douglas)
    ~Dey Ave (19th to 23rd)
    ~Osage Carlson (Western Hills to Carlson)abandonment of main Carlson Osage to 8" main to east
    ~Frontier Mall Drive (Stillwater to Dell Range)

Justification:  The water distribution system includes approximately 300 miles of ductile, concrete, steel, asbestos cement and PVC piping.  The life expectancy of these piping systems is generally between 40 and 100 years. Regular and systematic replacement is more cost effective and less disruptive to customers than repairing breaks.  Current pipe failures are approximately 50 breaks per year.  Current operating and engineering judgement recommends renewing the entire system approximately every 100 years or 3 miles per year.  This renewal rate should be re-evaluated if the break rates change significantly and as the system grows. 

Project Location:  Various locations between I-25 and Powderhouse Rd. and Western Hills Blvd./Storey Blvd. and E. Four Mile Rd.

Project Description:  Install new water distribution main in various locations of Deer Ave. pump zone and The Pointe pump zone. Specifically in:
  1. Open/close/install valves at new pump zone boundaries.
  2. Looping of N. Cheyenne Ln. from Western Hills Blvd. to Cornell Ln. and from Dartmouth Ln. to Harvard Ln. (8"),
  3. Rodeo Ave. from Evers Blvd. under I-25 to Stockman Ave. and Stockman Ave. from Hynds Blvd. to Vandehei St. (12").
  4. Gardenia Dr. across Yellowstone Rd. to Yellowtail Rd. (8"),
  5. North Gate Ave. from Main St. to Yellowstone Rd. (8"),
  6. Prairie Hills Dr. from Sioux Dr. to Cherokee St. (8"),
  7. Extension up Faith Dr. to Alyssa Way (8")

Justification:  HDR researched and provided a technical memorandum (TM) titled Pressure Zone Optimization as part of the North Pressure Zone study.  The technical memorandum addressed ways to expand and combine pump zone's in an effort to simplify system operation as well as provide distribution redundancies.  Project allows prolonged shutdown of Deer Ave Pump Station to reconfigure electrical feed so pumps can be individually locked out for maintenance.

Project Location:  Buffalo Ridge Tank, Distribution Mains in Storey Blvd, and Roundtop Tan.

Project Description:  The project includes a new 3 MG elevated tank and a 24" pipeline into existing transmission pipe on Storey Boulevard.  The project supports growth southeast and east of the new tank.  This project replaces two other previously planned projects: New Round Top Tank and Rehabilitation of the Buffalo Ridge Pump Station. FAA has indicated no challenge to the project.  Impacted flight paths will be addressed by the airport.  The project will be designed and constructed with contracted resources.

Justification:  The Round Top ground storage tank must be removed by 2024 to comply with a USEPA demand from a Sanitary Survey conducted in 2008.  Replacement storage is needed at a higher elevation and further east to serve growth and simplify the existing operation. Project defers cost to rehabilitate Round Top Tank and rehabilitate/expand Buffalo Ridge Pump Station.  Elevated tank increases potential growth from ~400 homes to ~3500 homes.  Future pipelines can expand this capacity further.

Project Location:  Along 26th Street from O'Neil Ave to Central Ave.

Project Description:  This rehab work coordinates with the City of Cheyenne project to extend a storm sewer from O'Neil Ave to Capitol Ave.  The water project includes upsizing a 4" CIP main to a 12" PVC main from O'Neil to Carey (~1000').  From Cary to Central, current parallel 4" CIP and 12" DIP mains would be replaced with a single modern 12" PVC main (~700').  The sewer project include replacing aging sewer main (345') between Carey and Capitol, including 2 manholes.  

 Justification:  When the BOPU coordinates work with the City, cost savings occur for common items such as excavation, road restoration, and site safety.  The water main upsizing provides redundancy to fire protection for Capitol Square complex. The sewer main is 90 years old and manholes are not likely to hold shape when adjacent soil is excavated.

Project Location:  Bell, Happy Jack, and Borie Wellfields and Belvoir Ranch.

Project Description:  During Bell Wellfield Production Expansion Project, Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions (Wood) converted known well logs into a subsurface model of the BOPU wellfields.  Data gaps between the well logs result in numerous assumptions and interpolation in the final model.  This project will use airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey technology to identify subsurface conditions between the wells along 1,079 line-kilometers.  Wood will manage the AEM contractor and convert the raw data into the final dynamic model.

Two wind energy projects are scheduled in the areas of the proposed AEM surveys.  These structures will interfere with the AEM survey.  Therefore, timing is essential to complete the surveys prior to erection of the wind turbines.  Turbines are expected to start construction in Borie/Belvoir in January 2020 and in the Happy Jack Wellfield in July 2020.

Justification:  The final model produced by Wood will allow BOPU staff to predict well performance, manage groundwater levels, plan well operation schedules, identify possible aquifer storage and recharge, confidently locate new wells, and increase understanding to defend existing groundwater rights, develop new rights and support groundwater interferences.

Project Location:  Irrigation piping running from Lower North Crow Diversion to the Wye, to Roundtop and into the City lakes (Absarraca, Kiwanis, and Sloans)

Project Description:  Annual program to design and replace approximately 1000 feet of water main per year.  Specific piping sections will be determined by the Source of Supply Group in the Water Treatment Division based on maintenance history, age, condition, material, criticality, soil corrosivity, etc. 

Justification:  The raw water distribution system includes approximately 20 miles of ductile iron, corrugated metal, steel, and vitrified clay pipe.  The life expectancy of these piping systems is generally between 40 and 100 years. On average, the piping has been in service for approximately 50 years.  Regular and systematic replacement is more cost effective and less disruptive to customers than repairing breaks.  Current operating and engineering judgement recommends renewing the entire system approximately every 100 years or 1,000 feet per year.  This renewal rate should be re-evaluated if the break rates change significantly. 

Project Location:  Approximately 20 to 125 miles east of Cheyenne.

Project Description:  Project is part of the Annual Safety of Dams Program to inspect six dams on varying cycles.  Hog Park and Rob Roy annually, add Upper North Crow every two years (next inspection in FY22) and Granite, Crystal and Lower North Crow every 6 years (next inspection in FY24).  The inspections are completed within a 6 year consulting agreement.  The current agreement began in FY17 and will end in FY22.  The project scope includes evaluating overall structure integrity by observing inclinometer measurements, drain water levels and physical condition.   Topographical surveys and geotechnical investigations may also be conducted as needed.

Justification:  These six dams contain a total of nearly 69 thousand of acre feet of water.  Crystal and Granite are over 100 years old.  Failure at anyone of these structures would come with catastrophic consequences.  Regular inspections are needed to ensure safe and reliable operations.  Inspections are also mandated by the State Engineer's office.

Project Location:  Treatment and reclamation plants, remote and local reservoirs, and distribution/collection systems.

Project Description:      There are two similar and related projects each with multiple phases.  The two projects are PLC replacements and RTU replacements.  The RTU’s and the PLC’s both communicate to the same SCADA control system, iFix, the BOPU’s graphically based Human Machine Interface.  The CPU’s in both RTU’s and PLC’s perform very similar functions.  The two types of controllers, PLC’s and RTU’s, have become so comparable that it is possible to have a PLC replace and RTU replacement and vice versa.  In the RTU replacement project, PLCs are the likely replacement for the existing RTU’s.  The key difference is the physical locations.  Most of the PLC’s are located in the plants and the RTU’s are located at more remote locations like pump stations and reservoirs.

PLC Replacement Project:
   lncludes replacing 55 obsolete Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC's) at Sherard Water Treatment Plant (5 major & 11 minor), two reclamation plants (2 major & 25 minor), and (12 more) at sewer lift stations, water pump stations and Granite Reservoir.  Project includes reusing existing PLC I/O hardware, upgrading central processing units and adding new l/O interface modules.  
   Three phases are planned.  PLC’s at the Sherard Water Treatment plant will be replaced in the first phase.  The second phase will replace PLC’s at the Crow Creek and Dry Creek water reclamation plants.  The final phase will replace PLC’s at other locations like lift stations and pump stations.  Each phase will include design and construction within a single fiscal year by contract resources.

RTU Replacement Project:
   Remote Terminal Units (RTU’s) at both water and sewer sites will be replaced.  A total of 82 RTU’s will be replaced with PLC’s.  An Ethernet based communications system is planned.  Ethernet communications is less proprietary than the existing Motorola system.  Communications equipment will include Ethernet radios, Ethernet cell modems, and Ethernet based satellite modems.  The replacement product for the existing Motorola RTU’s will be small “micro”  PLC’s or midsize PLC’s.  A pilot replacement PLC and associated modems will be assembled by June 2020.  If the pilot PLC is unsuccessful, the Motorola ACE RTU product will be reconsidered.
   Projects to be completed in four annual phases beginning in FY 2021. Each phase will include construction within a single fiscal year by contract resources.  Design for the RTU replacements will be done by BOPU staff.  

Justification:      There are 55 existing PLC's. Many are obsolete and unsustainable. Allen Bradley intends to end production and customer support for the major PLC's in the next two years.
    Technology in the MOSCAD-version of the Motorola RTUs is no longer supported by the manufacturer. RTUs at Rob Roy, Hog Park, Lake Owen, Crystal, and Granite use an obsolete land line communication technology. Replacement parts are difficult to obtain and lost communication/control at these sites would cause significant impact to operations and data collected for decision making.   Replacement of the Granite RTU in FY2021 will extend the longevity of the other four land line sites until a viable satellite system is identified.  Once a satellite technology is chosen, the other four land line sites will be upgraded.  The order of upgrades of other RTU sites will be based criticality.
    PLC's and RTU's are integral to the remote operation of the water and sewer systems. Systems are being maintained with spare parts from unreliable, third party, private sources, Risk associated with obsolete technology is no longer acceptable.

BOPU/CITY Projects 2019

1. BOPU/2019 Wastewater Rehab – 6 sites                     $2,511,581.55 

2. BOPU/2019 MH Rehab – 8 sites                                         $  387,718.00 

3. BOPU/2019 H2O Rehab – 5 sites                                 $3,050,697.00

4. Christensen Overpass Casing -                                            $  126,480.00

5. City/BOPU Evers Reconstruction -                                      $1,456,190.50

                                                                                                Total     $7,532,667.05

TOTAL FOOTAGE AND COST OF H2O PROJECTS ABOVE

TOTAL FOOTAGE AND COST OF SANITARY PROJECTS ABOVE