By When? – A Streamlined Approach to Prioritizing and Stabilizing Creek Crossings

Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) owns and operates over 1,500 miles of sanitary sewer pipelines throughout several watersheds in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Several of these pipeline segments cross or run parallel to major stream segments or minor drainage ways. In the summer of 2005, Springs Utilities embarked upon an aggressive program to identify pipeline segments crossing streambeds or drainage ways, inspect them and develop a repair prioritization plan. A review of the geographical information system (GIS) data revealed a total of 369 pipeline crossing segments to be prioritized for both internal and external condition assessments and improvement planning. Springs Utilities' fast track plan required the development of a systematic process that would enable all high-risk sewer crossings to be repaired or stabilized in an extremely condensed timeframe.