KCI was selected to provide program management for the 16.5-mile-long Northeast Transmission Line, which will enable transmission of a new surface water supply into Houston’s drinking water system and connections to the four regional water supply agencies.
In order to transport the surface water from Lake Houston to the city, multiple municipal utilities and regional water authorities participated in and funded the $450 million NETL construction project. Throughout the six-year construction phase, our team will work alongside Houston Public Works staff to track completion of program budget and schedule goals, provide facilitation for construction management, contractors and design engineers, make coordinated decisions to maintain construction progress, and provide construction documentation to the City and Water Authorities that is consistent quality across all projects.
Due to the massive size of the 108-inch (9 ft) diameter pipeline transmission, construction was split into segments to allow for multiple contractors to perform work simultaneously across the region. Each segment can take up to two years to complete, making it impractical to build the pipeline one section at a time. Due to the level of complexity involved, consistent coordination became essential to the pipeline’s successful installation. To rectify the complications that arose during the project timeline and stay on schedule, our team was often called on to coordinate between contractors, resolve problems and provide recommendations to the city.
Our team regularly visited the project sites to complete aerial inspections and drone flight video recordings to assess progress and keep the City and stakeholders informed of its status. This project is leading the way to sustainable water sourcing in Texas for years to come.
