All Categories, Environmental
Expanding Water Treatment Capacity to 1.5 MGD with Upgraded Filtration and Controls
Challenges & highlights
A key challenge of this project was upgrading a critical, active treatment facility without disrupting water service to the community. Roaring Fork Engineering worked closely with the Town and the selected contractor to develop a phased construction approach that maintained continuous plant operations throughout the upgrade.
The existing system was labor-intensive, space-constrained, and limited the Town’s ability to expand capacity. The new filtration system significantly reduces operator workload, simplifies treatment processes, and occupies less physical space, creating the flexibility needed for future expansion.
In parallel, the project included comprehensive upgrades to the well field controls and monitoring systems. Previously, operators had limited visibility into individual well performance. The updated system enables independent monitoring and testing of each well, improving system diagnostics, operational decision-making, and long-term source water management.
Additional project components included permitting through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, development of an Engineer’s Opinion of Probable Cost for budgeting, hydraulic modeling, piping layout, and constructability analysis to ensure efficient implementation.
The results
This project represents a significant advancement in Carbondale’s water infrastructure, expanding treatment capacity by 50 percent while improving reliability and operational efficiency.
The upgraded filtration system reduces maintenance demands and streamlines daily operations, allowing staff to manage the system more effectively. At the same time, the reduced footprint and improved layout create the physical and operational capacity needed for future expansion.
Enhanced well field monitoring provides operators with critical data and control that was previously unavailable, strengthening the Town’s ability to manage its water supply and respond to changing conditions over time.
Together, these improvements position the Roaring Fork Water Treatment Plant to reliably serve a growing community while maintaining high standards for water quality and system resilience
Elevation: 6,181
Location: Carbondale, CO
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