The Town of Johnstown is moving a major water infrastructure project closer to construction as it seeks a construction manager for a new raw water transmission system connecting Lonetree Reservoir with the town’s water treatment plant.
Johnstown issued a request for proposals July 9 seeking a Construction Manager at Risk, or CMAR, to provide design-phase services and potentially oversee construction of the Raw Water Transmission Project. Proposals are due by 3 p.m. Aug. 20, with the Town anticipating selection of a firm in late August and a design-phase contract award Sept. 21. (Town of Johnstown RFP)
The project includes approximately 10.6 miles of 30-inch transmission main, a new pump station at Lonetree Reservoir, a blending vault and upgrades to the existing Johnstown Reservoir pump station. Plans for the Lonetree facility call for five raw-water pumps sized to support production of up to 21 million gallons per day.
The new system is intended to increase the amount of untreated water that can be delivered to Johnstown’s water treatment plant. The Town is expanding the plant from 6 million gallons per day to 12 million gallons per day, with an ultimate buildout capacity of 21 million gallons per day. Without additional raw-water delivery capacity, the Town says the supply system could limit how much water the expanded plant is able to process. (Town of Johnstown Raw Water Transmission Project)
Pipeline Would Cross Several Jurisdictions
Building the transmission line will require coordination with several local and state agencies because the proposed alignment extends beyond Johnstown’s municipal boundaries.
According to the RFP, the route crosses areas under the jurisdiction of Johnstown, Berthoud, Larimer County, Weld County and the Colorado Department of Transportation. The project also involves crossings of the BNSF Railway, state highways and several irrigation ditches and laterals.
Land acquisition also remains part of the work. The Town reported in July that approximately 80% of the necessary easements had been acquired. Its project page says Weld County easements are complete, while work continues on remaining easements in Larimer County before the Town submits a required 1041 technical review to the county.
The project is expected to be financed through Johnstown’s Water Fund, the enterprise fund used to support maintenance, expansion and capital improvements to the municipal water system. A final construction price has not yet been established. As part of the CMAR process, the selected firm would assist with cost estimating, constructability reviews and value engineering before developing a guaranteed maximum price with the Town and its design team.
Construction Could Begin in Early 2027
The project remains in the design and land-acquisition phase. The RFP describes the transmission-main design as approximately 60% complete, while other portions of the system, including the Lonetree Reservoir pump station, are further along.
Under the preliminary schedule, Johnstown plans to interview shortlisted CMAR firms during the week of Aug. 24 and select a CMAR the following week. The design-phase contract is expected to be awarded Sept. 21. An early work package could begin in November, followed by completion of design work and development of a guaranteed maximum price in December. Full construction is currently targeted to begin in January 2027.
The Town is targeting substantial completion in December 2028 and final completion in March 2029. Those dates remain preliminary, and the RFP states that project milestones after the Aug. 20 proposal deadline are estimates and may change.
Selection of the CMAR would not automatically authorize the full construction contract. The selected company would initially provide design-phase services and help establish the project cost and construction schedule. Johnstown could later enter into a separate construction-phase agreement with the firm if the parties reach acceptable terms on the guaranteed maximum price and other contract requirements.
Once completed, the new transmission system would provide the additional raw-water delivery capacity needed to support Johnstown’s expanded treatment plant and the town’s long-term water demands.
