Westfield, MA– The American Council of Engineering Companies of Connecticut (ACEC/CT) honored Tighe & Bond, and the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA), with an Engineering Excellence Award for recently completed electrical improvements at the Lake Gaillard Pump Station in North Branford, CT. The recognition took place on January 23 during ACEC/CT’s 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards ceremony at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville.
Tighe & Bond, a New England leader in civil and environmental engineering, won praise for its role in completing a series of phased electrical equipment replacement projects at the pump station to upgrade aging equipment that was nearing the end of its life expectancy. These improvements resulted in optimized pump station performance and reliability. In addition to providing power for the pump station equipment, the pump station electrical equipment feeds power to the treatment plant.
The Lake Gaillard Pump Station: An Important and Hefty Water Supplier
The Lake Gaillard Pump Station supplies an average of 32 million gallons of water daily, representing approximately 60% of the average number of gallons that RWA pumps daily. It distributes water from the Lake Gaillard Water Treatment Plant, which has a total capacity of 80 million gallons daily. The pump station provides water directly to parts of New Haven, West Haven, North Haven, North Branford, and Branford. It also provides water indirectly to many more service areas through other pump and pressure reducing stations. Residents in this region depend on having an ample and continuous supply of water available for drinking and life safety purposes.
Project Details
Tighe & Bond provided design, permitting, and construction administration and observation services for the three phases of this $9 million electrical improvements project. This included replacing all power generation and distribution equipment (the 13,800 Volt custom dual utility and distribution switchgear, two 2,000 kVA 13,800 V to 4,160 V transformers, 4,160 V tie breaker, two 4,160 V circuit breakers and switchgear, two 2,250 kW generators, and motor starter lineups and control centers). The project included customizing the new equipment to meet the reliability and performance needs of the pump station, as well as achieve the equipment safety goals.
Regional Water Authority
The South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (RWA) delivers water for life by providing high-quality water and services to almost 430,000 people in 15 cities and towns throughout Greater New Haven. Across its operations, the RWA acts as a responsible steward of the environment by protecting the more than 27,000 acres of watershed land it owns and promoting sustainable business practices. More than 260 employees work toward the vision of being an innovative water utility that sustains life, strengthens communities and protects natural resources for future generations. For more information on the Regional Water Authority, please visit www.rwater.com.
