THE SEH Water Practice Center partnered with prime consultant TSP on the Lead-Deadwood Area Water Study, and received a 2008 Engineering Excellence Merit Award from the South Dakota ACEC (American Council of Engineering Companies).

The project consisted of an analysis of existing collection and distribution systems, an area demand study, a proposed service-area determination, water system modeling, distribution recommendations, and implementation strategies for a major water system serving the communities of Lead and Deadwood in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota.

The SEH team of Steve Robinson, Doug Klamerus, and John Thom provided supporting water engineering services to review the existing water treatment plant, forecast potential growth areas pertaining to development and future expansion of municipal systems, and recommend strategies to deal with future supply demands. SEH services included completing computer modeling to evaluate a variety of growth scenarios.

The existing raw water collection system covers 62,400 acres, including approximately 37.6 miles of pipe line, various bridges, tunnels, and control structures. The distribution system area potentially services over 55,700 acres and currently meets the average day demand of approximately 891,600 gallons per day (gpd). The water treatment plant treats an average of 800,000 gpd, but has a maximum capability of 4 million gpd.

According to Doug Klamerus, the evaluation of these systems confirmed that the needs of the potential service areas could be met by the treatment system. He also pointed out that the infrastructure and components will need continual observation and maintenance to keep the system functioning properly, and land development could create risks for contaminating drinking water.

Additional study recommendations include maintaining public awareness of source water protection, implementing water quality monitoring, and creating policies to address analysis of future development impacts.