Fort Carson, Colorado — The T&H service base operations and maintenance contractor repaired a damaged ductile iron, 18-inch water pipe near Building 301 in May 2015. (Picture provided)

Fort Carson, Colorado — The Fort Carson Public Works (DPW) will begin replacing the aging water mains on the north side of the postbox. As the US Army Facilities Management Command (IMCOM) recently provided substantial funding, the project should be completed soon.

IMCOM recently approved an additional year-end funding of US$2.7 million for the project, which will essentially replace the water mains first installed underground in the 1940s.

DPW Utility Engineer Technician Chris Markins said: "The existing water pipes are made of ductile iron and have exceeded their service life." "After a series of interruptions in the area in 2015, DPW engineers determined that the pipes need to be replaced as soon as possible, so priority Consider this project. If it is not replaced, we will continue to experience interruptions and lose thousands of gallons of water. Now, every day this existing production line is brought together is a gift."

Beginning this fall, construction workers will begin the first phase of the planned three-phase project to replace the main water pipeline on the northeast side of the post. Workers will drill holes underground and lay new pipelines made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), mostly parallel to existing pipelines.

“Because the staff will drill holes underground, it will not have much impact on traffic or gate activities,” Markins said. "The first stage will run from the gate 4 area to Wickersham Boulevard and will be connected to the existing line before the second stage."

Each subsequent stage will extend the new water mains further south. Workers will install new pipes and new valves, and then lay new supply lines for each building in the affected area.

Although most people shouldn't notice the difference in surface activity, the job is not easy. Workers will need to operate around conflicting utilities-power lines, natural gas lines, rainwater drainage pipes and sewers.

DPW’s civil engineer James Bohall said: “Getting these new funds allows us to complete the project faster.” “We are considering funding for one stage at a time, but we cannot predict future funding, so there is no guarantee that we will be the last one. Funding is provided at the stage."

Bohall explained that it is almost certain to receive funding in fiscal year 2021, and the first phase will be completed in 2022, which also increases the chances of obtaining funding for the second phase in fiscal year 2022.

The leaders of DPW hope that most buildings will be without water for one day at some point during the project, and the staff will lay a new water supply line for each building. In the third stage, the staff also needed to install a new valve and specifically excavate the existing supply line in Building 749.

Markins said that although the impact should be small, the life expectancy of new HDPE pipes is 50 to 100 years and is better than iron pipes.

"I don't think most people will consider the overall age of the underground and infrastructure," he said. "After installing the new HDPE pipes, we don't have to worry about rupture of the water pipe at the north end of the column for a long time."

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