The Raw Water Pipeline consists of 35-miles of 90-inch pipe from lake to treatment plant in Leonard

Wylie, Texas (August 6, 2019 -- Crews with Garney Construction and Oscar Renda Contracting installed the first section of pipeline needed to deliver raw water from Bois d'Arc Lake currently under construction in Fannin County.

Getting water from the future Bois d’Arc Lake to 1.7 million customers in North Texas requires 35 miles of 90-inch pipeline to move untreated water from the lake to a new water treatment plant under construction near Leonard. It will be able to carry up to 236 million gallons of water daily for water users in the 80 communities served by North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). The reservoir and pipeline will provide secure long-term water supplies to sustain the future of the growing region and significantly boost the local economy.

The Northwest Pipe Company and the Thompson Pipe Group are manufacturing the pipe with approximately 75% of it crafted in the Dallas-area. Each section of pipe is 50 ft. long and weighs around 25,000 lbs. It will take 6 months to a year to deliver the entire pipe, with installation continuing until the summer of 2021.

“Each piece comes on an eighteen-wheeler,” explained Fain Butler, Assistant Construction Manager for the Bois d’Arc Lake project. “The work is staggered, with some pipe still arriving while crews work to finish burying other sections. It’s no small job, and four to five crews will be working simultaneously to lay the approximately 3,696 total pieces of pipe. That’s around 15 per day.”

Over the next two years, crews of about 10 workers will dig trenches for the pipe, install the pipe, refill the trenches with dirt and then restore the impacted areas. Fannin County residents can expect to see increased truck traffic on roads near the pipeline path. However, since the work will be staggered and spread out over 35 miles, heavy truck traffic should only occur for shorter periods at any one location.

Residents are encouraged to be alert for construction crews/vehicles and to use caution around pipeline construction zones.

For more information about the Bois d’Arc Lake project and traffic/construction alerts, visit http://www.BoisdArcLake.org/ConstructionAlerts or the What to Expect During Construction brochure.