Deer Creek Pump Station Improvement Project - Purissima Hills Water District, CA
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The Deer Creek Pump Station consisted of three (3) 100 and one (1) 200 horsepower (hp) pumps and is the most critical facility in the Purissima Hills Water District’s (District) distribution system. The pump station, located at the connection point with the San Francisco Hetch Hetchy supply line, moves water to both the District’s Zone 2 and Zone 3 distribution systems. On an average summer day, 2/3 of the District’s water passes through the Deer Creek Pump Station. The pump station’s original design intent was to house five (5) pumps however only four (4) were installed. The goal of this project was to build out the capacity of the pump station by installing the final fifth 200 hp pump to provide additional redundancy and improved reliability.
Serving as the District Engineer for the Purissima Hills Water District, Pakpour Consulting Group designed the project and also served as construction manager during construction. The project involved replacing the pump housing, originally sized for a 100 hp pump, with a larger housing capable of accommodating the new 200 hp pump.
In addition, the project also involved replacing the existing portable emergency generator stationed at the pump station with a new permanent emergency generator. In the event of a power outage, the new 400 kilowatt diesel generator will provide enough power to run one 200 hp and one 100 hp pump simultaneously. The auto-start feature allows the generator to startup and operated remotely allowing District crews to concentrate on other activities. The exterior of the pump station is bisected by a large concrete flood control culvert owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD). With limited space for the new generator, the design team wedged the supporting foundation within 6-feet of the culvert and the existing building. The design of the foundation and pad required extensive coordination with SCVWD.
The pump station building also underwent extensive seismic upgrades. The roof was retrofitted by installing bracing and tie-downs to provide additional structural support in the event of a seismic event along with the installation of a new ventilation system including three (3) roof fans and new doors to promote circulation. Piping within the pump station was installed in a new below-grade concrete vault for accessability.
