Owner: North Harris County Regional Water Authority (NHCRWA)
Engineer of Record: Gannett Fleming
Value: $102,376,346
Project Overview
The Alan Rendl Regional Pump Station, part of the NHCRWA Surface Water Supply and Transmission Program, is a cornerstone of North Harris County’s long-term water infrastructure strategy. This major facility—known as Project 24C—was designed and constructed to deliver 40.3 million gallons per day (MGD) of finished surface water into the regional distribution system, supporting the Authority’s ongoing transition from groundwater to treated surface water in compliance with regional subsidence mandates.
The new regional pump station strengthens the capacity, reliability, and efficiency of the entire NHCRWA network, serving as one of the primary nodes in a multi-phase, countywide water supply initiative.
Scope & Key Components
Reytec Construction Resources, Inc. played a vital role in the civil and site construction scope of this high-profile regional facility. The overall project included:
- Construction of a new pump station/operations building, a new maintenance building, new chemical and electrical buildings.
- Installation of two 14,000-gpm and two 7,000-gpm horizontal split-case centrifugal pumps, complete with discharge piping, valves, and hydropneumatic systems for seamless integration into the regional transmission network.
- Connection to existing and new surface water transmission mains, forming a key junction in the NHCRWA supply chain.
- Comprehensive civil, structural, mechanical and electrical site work, including grading, drainage, foundation systems, and utility coordination.
- Associated mechanical piping, electrical conduits, access roads, and control infrastructure designed to meet the Authority’s rigorous reliability and performance standards.
- Two 12.5 million gallon ground water storage tanks
- Stormwater detention pond, pump station, piping and outfall
- Due to the soil conditions, over three miles of drilled piers were required to provide the structural foundation of the multiple buildings.
Reytec’s crews worked collaboratively with Freese and Nichols and other project partners to execute deep civil foundations, underground connections, and heavy mechanical tie-ins—ensuring the facility’s seamless integration with the region’s surface water grid.
Challenges & Execution
The site was located in a flood plain where the sequence of work was severely handicapped with any rain events. Reytec utilized portions of the excavation from an in scope detention pond to temporarily build the site up for construction accessibility and then removed the excess materials after the construction of each element. This double and triple handling of materials had a lasting impact on the schedule.
Due to the site elevations and the amount of runoff from adjacent properties, the site did not provide any natural space for parking, laydown and trailer complexes. Reytec used the location of future ground storage tanks and elevated the site with additional elevated temporary roads to provide accessibility. Off site parking and bussing of craft works was required.
The purchase and delivery of selectfill to provide the foundations for the two 12.5million gallon storage tanks would require trucking though multiple school zones. Reytec limed in place excavated materials from the detention pond and created on site select fill. This eliminated over 12,000 trucks requiring to navigate the neighboring streets.
Due to site restrictions, the design of the pump building has the electrical room on one side of the below grade pipe gallery and the pumps on the other. This created massive coordination efforts of installing piers along side of both vertical and horizontal duct banks at depths over 20 foot deep while placing and finishing the basement containing the pipe gallery.
The Alan Rendl Pump Station required complex coordination among multiple contractors and disciplines, with strict tolerances for hydraulic and mechanical alignment. Working within an active regional utility corridor, Reytec implemented precise scheduling, heavy-lift coordination, and stringent safety measures to maintain progress while supporting simultaneous structural, mechanical, and electrical installations.
Site logistics, weather conditions, and the need to coordinate tie-ins to major 84-inch and 108-inch transmission mains added to the project’s complexity. Through detailed planning and adaptive field leadership, Reytec delivered its scope on schedule while upholding NHCRWA’s exacting quality and performance standards.
Impact & Benefits
Upon completion, the Alan Rendl Regional Pump Station became a critical operational hub for the North Harris County Regional Water Authority’s surface water distribution system, ensuring sustainable and reliable delivery of high-quality water across the region. The facility’s 40.3-MGD capacity allows NHCRWA to meet current and future demand while advancing its mission to reduce subsidence and safeguard long-term water availability.
Demonstrating Reytec’s Expertise
The Alan Rendl Regional Pump Station stands as a powerful example of Reytec’s ability to execute complex, high-value infrastructure projects requiring deep technical coordination and precision delivery. From major civil construction to intricate tie-ins within an active transmission network, Reytec demonstrated its mastery of heavy civil, mechanical, and utility systems at a regional scale.
Participation in a project of this magnitude underscores Reytec’s standing as a trusted partner in Texas’s regional water infrastructure, capable of collaborating with leading engineering firms and public agencies to deliver critical facilities that sustain communities for generations to come.
