Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project

The growing region of Union County in North Carolina expects its population to increase by over 100,000 residents in the next two decades. With no local source of natural water, the County relies on lakes and rivers in surrounding counties to supply water for its communities. The need to secure an additional sustainable source of water for its expanding population led to the Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project. At the crux of this project is a 28-mile raw water pipeline supplied by Northwest Pipe Company.

Our plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia, is manufacturing engineered steel pipe for this project in sizes ranging from 42- to 54-inches in diameter with cement mortar lining and polyurethane coating. Utilizing 9,284 tons of steel pipe, this water transmission pipeline is one of the longest produced by Northwest Pipe Company. Once complete, the line will move water from Lake Tillery in the Town of Norwood to a new water treatment plant in Union County. The project also includes a new pump station on Lake Tillery and a pipeline to deliver water to Union County’s distribution system from the new water treatment plant. A partnership between Union County and the Town of Norwood in neighboring Stanly County, the project benefits each of these communities. The Town of Norwood will be able to access four times the volume of water its current facilities provide and the water intake facility and pump station will replace the existing WWII-era infrastructure. Stanly County will have access to an additional water source through the Town of Norwood’s infrastructure,at a rate of up to 2 million gallons of water per day. Union County secures a long term, sustainable water supply for its Yadkin River Basin residents’ existing and future needs.

Crews from Garney Construction are installing the 28-mile pipeline primarily via open-trench construction. Trenchless methods are being used to cross under some roadway intersections to limit surface disruptions. With multiple points of the project under construction simultaneously, maintaining a smooth production, delivery, and installation timeline was critical. Northwest Pipe Company designated two project managers to keep up with submittals and help ensure project success.

Before breaking ground in September 2020, the project was 16 years in the making. Early planning stages involved studies of future regional water demands, project feasibility, and environmental impacts. After reviewing a dozen alternative options, the Lake Tillery Interbasin Transfer Alternative option was selected as the optimal plan for water supply meeting current and future needs cost-efficiently with the least impact on the environment, aesthetics, and usability of the lake. Construction of the raw water pipeline is scheduled to be completed in mid-2023 with water delivery beginning in late 2023.

For more information about the project, visit: https://www.yadkinwater.com/index.html