Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District Irrigation Lateral Enclosure 2010-2011

The Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District Enclosed Lateral Improvement Projects (ELIPS) 2010-2011 laterals included installation of approximately 22 miles of pipeline, converting open channel irrigation ditches to enclosed pressurized irrigation mains. RH2 assisted in facilities planning, design, bidding and construction inspection on a very condensed timeline.

Winter construction was required to maintain service to all customers during the irrigation season. Hydraulic modeling was performed to size the pipes and identify the most cost-effective route and cost for the multi-year project. Eight alternatives were developed during predesign, and the chosen alternative reduced the overall length of the project from 55.7 to 53.7 miles, reducing the overall cost by nearly $12 million.

The 22 miles constructed in 2010-11 included significant dewatering, multiple city and county road and utility crossings, a railroad crossing and numerous state highway crossings. The project utilized multiple pipe sizes and materials to meet design conditions, including steel pipe up to 78 inches in diameter, HDPE pipe up to 63 inches in diameter, and PVC materials between 6 inches and 27 inches in diameter. The 2010-2011 laterals construction was completed on time, under budget and with only 1.2 percent change orders between four separate construction contracts.

The project was funded under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and involved coordination with numerous agencies and jurisdictions. The pipeline will provide local land owners with a new pressurized system that is completely metered from source to distribution and conserves water lost to evaporation, seepage and open channel inefficiencies.

78-inch Pipeline Installation

63-inch HDPE Irrigation Main