Racine Water & Wastewater Utility Water Expansion Project
Learn how R/M successfully navigated one of the largest water projects ever in the state of Wisconsin.
The Racine Water & Wastewater Utility partnered with Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. to embark on one of the largest water system expansion projects ever in the state of Wisconsin; one that would allow the utility to provide an average of 5.8 million gallons per day (mgd) for approximately 20 million sq. ft. of new manufacturing space in the Village of Mount Pleasant.
To meet the production needs of this sizable development, the project timeline was significantly expedited. Design, permitting, and construction were completed at an extraordinary pace, often simultaneously. Work that would normally take years was completed in less than two months.
Explore this Award-Winning Project!
01 / 09
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1
Water Main Installation
To effectively navigate the project's size and pace, R/M split the174,540 feet of transmission main into 18 individual segments.
This allowed the project team to design the initial, most critical sections of transmission main on a fast track in coordination with regulatory agencies and other nearby infrastructure projects.
2
Expedited Design
Due to the numerous roadway reconstruction projects in the development area, the water main design and construction timeline had to be expedited.
3
Urban Considerations
A significant portion of the large diameter water main construction took place in highly congested, urban areas where the underground space up to 12 feet deep was occupied.
This meant that in addition to constructing the new main, the project team had to design around the existing infrastructure to account for room for the new main without cutting off water supply to local homes and businesses.
4
Waterway Challenges
The project corridor included several wetlands, creek crossings, and river crossings. R/M utilized strict environmental control measures and underground horizontal directional drilling for distances up to 400’ to avoid wetland disturbances.
Directional drilling was performed under the Pike River.
5
Pumping Station Improvements
To meet the increased water demand and accommodate the large industrial user, the firm capacity at two pumping stations was significantly expanded by upgrading the pumps, electrical, and control systems.
The HWY 20 Pumping Station was upgraded from 4.1 MGD to 7.9 MGD.
6
Keeping the Facilities Running
The team followed a detailed staging process to keep the facilities running while they were constructing the improvements.
The Perry Avenue Pumping Station was upsized from 2 MGD to 6 MGD.
7
New Pumping Stations
A new pumping station was designed and constructed to accommodate the significant increase in water transmission to the industrial site.
The Braun Road Pumping Station exterior was designed to fit into the local aesthetic and future development plans. It contains a pump room, workshop, chemical room, and restroom.
8
Keeping the Tanks Full
The Summit Avenue Pumping Station was modified to help fill a downstream elevated storage tank faster to maintain flow to the industrial client.
9
New Elevated Storage Tank
A 1.25M gallon elevated storage tank was built to provide the required storage capacity near the site of the industrial client.
The RWWU water expansion will have a powerful impact on local communities.
This development supports appreciable economic expansion in Southeast Wisconsin, bringing new jobs and tax revenue to the community. RWWU customers will also see a direct financial benefit resulting from the water supply expansion, as the more customers a utility serves, the more affordable water rates become.