Enid Kaw Lake Water Supply Program ready for construction

After more than five years of planning, design, and coordination, the Enid Kaw Lake Water Supply Program is shovel-ready.

With environmental clearance and funding in place, water rights authorized, and easements secured, construction is set to begin on the new, sustainable surface water supply planned to meet the future demand of citizens in Enid and Northwest Oklahoma.

Garver, a multi-disciplined engineering and planning firm, has served as the City’s program manager for the $317 million capital project, planning and developing the new water supply from concept to construction. The program includes an intake and pump station at Kaw Lake with 70 miles of raw water transmission pipeline to a new water treatment plant in Enid. Garver’s program management services include environmental, treatability analysis, schedule management, cost estimating and cash flow analysis, funding support, permitting, land acquisition, design, services during construction, commissioning, and co-piloting initial operations.

“As we navigated the twists and turns and the complexities of this project, Garver has always been there to give us good information to make good decisions going forward,” said Enid City Manager Jerald Gilbert. “We appreciate our relationship with Garver that will continue throughout the rest of the project to secure water for Enid and surrounding communities for the next 50 to 100 years.”

One particular benefit to this program is utilization of the Construction Management-At-Risk (CMAR) delivery method, which allows for a more streamlined process with collaboration between the design team (Garver) and the City’s construction manager (Garney Construction) throughout design. Recent legislation in Oklahoma allowed for use of CMAR, but considering this is the first municipal project in Oklahoma, it required new regulatory processes within the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) and Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ). Garver worked with the City and state agencies to develop practical and repeatable processes for permitting and funding to support the new legislation.

“I’ve lived in Oklahoma for 16 years now and am so proud to be able to work with the City of Enid and see the direct impact this project will have for generations to come,” said Garver Senior Project Manager Eric Fladie. “Throughout this process, we have strived to serve the City as more than just a client, but as a seamless extension of its staff and will continue to do so through the construction phase and completion of this project.”

Execution of the comprehensive program, which touches every aspect of what will become the City’s water supply, also included communication with key stakeholders along with agency collaboration with the OWRB, Garver supported the City by preparing documentation for loan applications; working with the ODEQ for design permitting compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act; and coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, which issued a Finding of No Significant Impact in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act; and others.

“The pace at which the final permits and approvals have come through is an indication of how well the program has been managed, and that’s because of the hard work from Garver and the City,” said City of Enid Director of Engineering Chris Gdanski. “As the City of Enid is a smaller community, this program is a critical long-term investment in our water security. Garver’s commitment to success of the program starts at the top and is apparent through every level of their team.”

Construction is set to conclude in October 2023.

To learn more about what Garver’s Water Team can do for you, visit our Water services page.