Lake Ralph Hall Pump Station Wins Construction Management Project of the Year
Lake Ralph Hall Raw Water Pump Station was named 2026 Project of the Year by the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) and received a CMAA Project Achievement Award in the Water/Wastewater/Utility (>$50 Million) category.
A project 25 years in the making, the Upper Trinity River Water District’s (UTRWD) Lake Ralph Hall Program is the District’s most significant capital effort in history.
The $98 million Lake Ralph Hall Raw Water Pump Station project, located in Ladonia, Texas, is a critical component of the overall program that aims to provide residents with reliable water in a region anticipated to boom nearly 400% over the next 50 years.
UTRWD established a dedicated team for the entire program highly focused on risk management, cost and schedule mitigation, and public involvement. The District selected Freese and Nichols as the Design-Construction Manager and Archer Western as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR).
All three entities worked in close coordination throughout design and construction to bring this monumental project to fruition.
CMAR Delivery Method to Achieve Overall Project Success
Utilizing a CMAR delivery method, the Lake Ralph Hall Raw Water Pump Station project is situated between two other major program components — the dam and pipeline conveyance systems.
The pump station extended five years from pre-construction through completion with aspects that include:
- Initial pumping capacity of 55 MGD and expandable up to 80 MGD
- Three variable speed, 1,250 horsepower pumps that allow for a wide range of flow control and energy-efficient pumping for hydraulic conditions.
- Pump room located approximately 15 feet below grade
- Electrical room and separate SCADA room to meet current needs and future expansion
- 5,607-square-foot maintenance building
- 2,000-square-foot storage building to facilitate system maintenance
Team Collaboration and Success Through Risk Management Efforts
Freese and Nichols designed the pump station and also served as construction manager to link the partnership between UTRWD as owner and Archer Western as CMAR. Staff from all organizations were co-located on site, enabling continuous, transparent communication and real-time collaboration to immediately address issues and challenges. Together, the team utilized FNI Manager, a document management system to organize workflows and provide a repository for 1,000+ project documents.
The team implemented risk management efforts early in design that continued through start-up. This included a risk register to record and track each individual risk with the following overall goals in mind: design modifications, construction procedures and allocation of appropriate contingency allowances. Risks associated with coordinating multiple interfaces of the Lake Ralph Hall Program included:
- Two large-diameter pipeline connections
- Matching grading for a 20-acre site that shared a 4,100-foot perimeter with the dam site
- Instrumentation connections
Innovation in Coordinated Testing, Commissioning and Start-Up
As the project neared completion, Freese and Nichols construction managers managed and coordinated testing, commissioning and start-up of numerous systems and completed hundreds of individual tests to confirm long-term pump station service.
One of the most innovative elements was the design and implementation of a test loop. This feature enabled coordination between UTRWD, Freese and Nichols and Archer Western to establish and refine startup procedures and also troubleshoot and optimize system performance prior to full integration with upstream and downstream components.
As a result, the test loop improved overall project quality while reducing startup risks and compressing program schedule.
Extensive Public Awareness & Engagement
Constructing a billion-dollar water supply program in a rural community provided UTRWD with numerous opportunities to engage with the community, enhance local support and show progress of a critical component to local water supplies.
Over the pump station’s five-year construction period, UTRWD provided regular public updates through newsletters and social media and also hosted nearly 100 tours in coordination with our team, showcasing the project, explaining major program components, outlining the project lifecycle, assisting in site safety for visitors and answering questions.
Direct involvement from Freese and Nichols’ construction managers helped ensure that visitors received accurate, informed perspectives from those most familiar with the work.
