Project Information
The Citizens Reservoir project, developed by the Citizens Energy Group, promises to provide sufficient water for the growing population and local economy over the next two decades at a significantly lower cost compared to traditional reservoir construction. Upon completion in 2021, the 88-acre site, which was once a limestone quarry, will transform into the largest reservoir in Central Indiana since 1968.
This reservoir is crucial for mitigating the severe drought conditions that have led to mandatory water usage restrictions in the area before. It will hold 3.5 billion gallons of water, roughly half the volume of the nearby Geist Reservoir, but with a much more compact footprint. Schnabel, serving as the geotechnical engineer of record, played a key role in assessing various design options to ensure the project was economically viable. The chosen design includes essential components such as a raw water intake, pump station, raw water transmission pipeline, access road, stabilization of the quarry's limestone walls and rim, and perimeter fencing. The project's scope included conducting underground investigations, reviewing the impact of groundwater on surrounding properties during reservoir filling and operation, creating geotechnical data and engineering reports, and designing the facility's tunnels, shafts, and protective canopies to prevent rockfall incidents. The raw water intake will feature a 220-foot-deep shaft and a 235-foot-long tunnel, while the pump station will include four 220-foot-deep wells and a 250-foot-long tunnel. The construction of these tunnels and the intake shaft will utilize the drill and blast technique, with the raise boring method applied to the pump station shafts.
