Carrollton Dam renovations underway to improve and preserve aging Dallas water system

by Dan Eakin of Star Local News

The combined capacity of the water treatment plants involved represents about half the drinking water supply system for the entire city of Dallas.

Carrollton Dam

CARROLLTON — Crews are working day and night to reconstruct the Carrollton Dam, which is located under the bridge over the Elm Fork of the Trinity River on Sandy Lake Road, which is the city limits between Coppell and Carrollton.

Last September, the Dallas City Council approved expenditures of about $20 million for the reconstruction of the Carrollton Dam and two other dams on the river, and also for work to be done on the Elm Fork Water Treatment Plant in Carrollton.

The dam is owned by the city of Dallas, and operated by Dallas Water Utilities

The work at the Carrollton Dam not only includes the demolition and reconstruction of the dam itself, but also on the concrete walls on each side of the river just south of the dam.

A cofferdam, often referred to as just a coffer, has been built just south of the Carrollton Dam to control water while the work is under way, and also to provide a passage way across the river for work crews.

Once the work is completed, the cofferdam will be removed. However, a concrete slab poured at the base of the cofferdam will remain.

Kimberly Brashear, who lived in Coppell until moving to Central Texas as a sophomore in high school, is the project manager. She said work continues six days a week between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., with two shifts working.

“The work continues at night,” she said. “However, there is no noisy work after 7 p.m. We want to be a good neighbor.”

She estimated the work will be completed by the end of February.

In 1945, following severe flooding, concrete was added just south of the dam in order to help prevent further erosion. The concrete walls, which were very steep and posed a hazard to fishermen and others who walk beside the river at that location, are being reconstructed.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has established criteria for classifying and inspecting dams, including inspecting and maintaining dams for water supply and public safety.

The Elm Fork Water Treatment Plant is the second largest of three water treatment plants serving customers of Dallas Water Utilities. It was constructed in the 1950s and underwent an expansion and renovation to its current capacity of 300 million gallons per day in the early 1990s.

Inspectors say it is now in need of rehabilitation to continue providing reliable drinking water service to its customers.

Archer Western Construction of Arlington was awarded a contract just short of $17 million for the construction of chlorine scrubber system improvements at the Elm Fork Water Treatment Plant, located in Carrollton near the Coppell city limits, as well as a $3.6 million contract for the “rehabilitation” of the Carrollton Dam as well as the California Crossing Dam and Frasier Dam, both located in North Dallas.

The Carrollton Dam impounds water for the Elm Fork Water Treatment Plant, and the California Crossing and Frasier dams are part of the system impounding water for the Bachman Water Treatment Plant.

The combined capacity of these two water treatment plants represents about half of the drinking water supply system of the entire city of Dallas.