Our Expertise > Silver Creek Intake
The City of Silverton has two sources of raw water—Silver Creek and Abiqua Creek. The existing raw water intake on Silver Creek reached the end of its useful life. Keller addressed existing deficiencies in the City’s potable water system by designing the replacement for the existing intake structure and pump station—which is expandable to a triplex system—a new fish screen and backwash system, nearly 1,500 feet of pipeline, and trenchless rehabilitation of approximately 300 feet of pipeline.
Replacing the existing 12-inch water line with a new 18-inch water line improves the City’s ability to deliver water to its treatment plants. It also supports community growth and infrastructure resiliency, addressing social needs and economic development. Keller strived for a design approach that met the City’s long-term needs and the desire for a fully redundant water source. Because concrete structures typically have a useful life of 50 to 75 years, designing the structure and the fish screen system to deliver the City’s 14 cfs water right provides for long-term resiliency while minimizing future impacts on critical habitats and Endangered Species Act-fish species by eliminating the need for future upgrades as water needs increase.
The intake site is also a popular public swimming area located near community parks. Design and construction had to include public safety considerations for recreational swimming. The project supported the multi-use need to deliver raw water to the City’s treatment plant while preserving public access to the creek and protecting public safety: there are no moving parts on the exterior of the intake, and low entrance velocities prevent eddying or other dangerous hydraulic conditions at the face of the intake.