Heavy rains in 2006 caused flooding of Interstate 10 in Central El Paso. Bath was tasked with identifying a site for a new stormwater pump station, designing the station, and then overseeing its construction.

As prime consultant, Bath provided a land acquisition study, performed hydraulic analysis, and provided surge analysis. During the Design Phase, Bath selected pumps, valves, protective devices, motor control centers, and an emergency generator. Bath also designed the SCADA interface and the HVAC system.

The design features an innovative self-cleaning wet well in which water flows over an Ogee Crest designed to satisfy specific hydraulic characteristics over a range of flows. A 12-acre foot stilling basin was designed to hold water pending pumping to the river.

Bath’s Resident Project Representative was on site throughout the construction phase. He monitored construction quality, processed submittals and pay applications, and created the project construction record. He built a strong positive relationship with the construction contractors that helped avoid change orders.

Project Highlights
Bath’s first task was to identify an available site in this developed area. The self-cleaning wet well was innovative. The system has been in service for 5 years and EPWater staff indicates that the wet well has never required cleaning. That compares to cleaning other stormwater pump stations several times each year. Bath’s oversight during construction focused on safety due to the deep excavations and nearby buildings. The project was completed with zero lost time accidents and no claims for damage of adjacent structures.