Chimney Hollow Conduit Halfway Complete

One of the major components of Chimney Hollow Reservoir’s water conveyance system hit an important milestone this month as crews constructing the Chimney Hollow Conduit reached the halfway point. The Chimney Hollow Conduit consists of about 1 mile of buried 72-inch diameter steel pipe that will transport water from the existing CB-T Project infrastructure into Chimney Hollow Reservoir. The pipe is buried about 15 to 20 feet deep and will deliver water at a rate of 400 cubic feet per second into the reservoir.  

The heaviest section of pipe weighs 33,650 pounds and will be placed just outside of the valve house located at the base of the main dam. As water travels downhill from the Bald Mountain Interconnect, the weight and thickness of the pipe increases to compensate for the rise in pressure as the water flows downhill by gravity. At the top of the hill, the water pressure will be about 36 pounds per square inch (PSI), whereas at the bottom of the hill (at the on-site valve house), it will be about 550 PSI.    

Construction of the Chimney Hollow Conduit began in August 2022 and is expected to be completed this fall.