Background
The Davis Aqueduct has served as a backbone of Davis County’s water infrastructure since the 1950s. Today, it provides both culinary and secondary irrigation water to hundreds of thousands of residents. With the aqueduct located along the Wasatch Fault, seismic resilience became a critical requirement for the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District (WBWCD).
To modernize this essential system, WBWCD launched a seismic resilience project supported by the Utah Division of Water Resources. A new pump station, paired with a 72-inch steel pipeline, required a high-horsepower pump that could combine efficiency with resilience.
The Challenge
Seismic conditions demanded a pump solution capable of withstanding sudden system fluctuations without relying on traditional surge tanks. Surge tanks increase cost, space requirements, and long-term maintenance needs, making them less attractive for this high-profile upgrade.
WBWCD needed a pump that delivered:
- Uninterrupted reliability in fault-line conditions.
- Surge control without surge tanks.
- Capacity to meet both treated water and irrigation demand.
The Floway Solution
At the core of the new pump station is a 1,500 HP Floway vertical turbine pump, designed and manufactured by Trillium Flow Technologies.
Key features include:
- Flywheel Technology: Provides inherent surge control, eliminating the need for large surge tanks.
- Vertical Turbine Design: Precision-engineered for municipal water supply, capable of handling high horsepower applications with unmatched reliability.
- Seismic Resilience: Engineered for continuous performance during seismic-related transients, safeguarding delivery across the aqueduct.
- Operational Efficiency: Reduces infrastructure footprint, cost, and complexity while maintaining high performance.
In addition to the primary pump, two additional Floway cans were installed to support the district’s long-term growth plan. These cans are positioned for future pump installations as the region’s water demand continues to expand, ensuring scalability and continuity within the same resilient infrastructure.
Installation & Execution
Whitaker Construction led installation of the new pump station and pipeline. The Floway pump was installed and aligned in close coordination with WBWCD and project partners. Its compact surge-control design simplified integration into the new pumphouse, saving both time and construction resources.
Results & Performance Impact
The Floway vertical turbine pump is now the heart of the Davis Aqueduct’s seismic resilience strategy.
Performance outcomes include:
- 650,000 residents protected with reliable water delivery.
- Seismic surge protection built in, with no need for massive surge tanks.
- Optimized cost and footprint, reducing infrastructure requirements while ensuring resilience.
- Future-proof capacity, designed for both treated culinary water and secondary irrigation.
- Scalable design with two additional cans installed for seamless system expansion.
Conclusion
The Davis Aqueduct project highlights how Trillium Flow Technologies delivers performance-engineered products for the most demanding environments. The 1,500 HP Floway vertical turbine pump not only powers a critical water supply system but also ensures seismic resilience where it matters most.
For WBWCD, this project demonstrates how the right pump design provides not just water, but peace of mind for generations to come.
