Lake Tuscaloosa Water Intake Upgrade
Owner: City of Tuscaloosa | GC: Haren Construction | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | 2024
The problem
The City of Tuscaloosa's lake intake was aging, and the city needed more capacity from it. The work called for a new intake at depth.
Why the depth mattered
The work took place at 110 feet. Past 100 feet a chamber is required on site (ADCI sets the threshold at 80 feet). That meant extra equipment and more personnel: surface supplied air run from a barge, surface oxygen decompression, an on-site chamber, a chamber operator and a dive medical technician on standby.
What Zion Marine did
We removed the existing timber intake and rock ballast. We installed a new intake with diver placed steel formwork, rebar and concrete. We also replaced the screen guide rails and the air valve intake. Six divers worked on the project for about one month.
The result
The new intake is in service and meeting capacity. The project was completed on time and on budget.
On the barge
Surface-supplied operations require precise topside coordination. On Lake Tuscaloosa, the dive barge carried the full spread: commercial diving air station, decompression chamber, high-pressure gas racks, umbilical lines, tender stations, and safety personnel. Every dive rotation was monitored continuously from the surface.
Planning underwater work at depth?
Tell us about the structure and conditions. We'll help assess the requirements, depth thresholds, equipment and crew configuration for safe execution.