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Potake Pond Siphons for United Water New York

BS&J was asked to investigate piping improvements to an existing gravity siphon at Potake Pond located in Sloatsburg, NY. The siphon delivers water to augment the Ramapo River during periods of low flow to ensure production from the Ramapo Valley Well Field.

The existing siphon consists of an old 12 inch diameter cast iron pipe extending through Potake Pond Dam and connecting to approximately 4,000 feet of more recent 16 inch diameter ductile iron pipeline. The existing siphon was able to consistently deliver from 2 to 3 million gallons per day (MGD), but flows up to 8 MGD were required by May 2006.

Alternatives considered included modifications to the existing siphon, a pumping station, or a new siphon. Many factors contributed to the decision to install a new siphon adjacent to the dam, including: minimizing visual impact and noise, no modifications required to the dam, and insufficient power available for a pumping station.

BS&J worked with Godwin Pumps, Walker Diving, CalMart Construction, and Roberge Electric to design and construct three 12 inch diameter SDR 17 HDPE pipelines, approximately 4 MGD capacity each. The new HDPE pipes extend from the pond about 1,000 feet and connect to the 16 inch DIP for gravity flow the remainder of the distance to the outlet. Two of the pipelines are operational and one is available for future use. The siphons are primed once each season using a self priming pump. Motor-actuated valves at the ends of the HDPE siphons are remotely controlled via SCADA to turn the siphons on and off and throttle the flow as needed. Flows in excess of 9 MGD have been achieved.


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