Davis Pressure Plane

The Davis Pressure Plane is one of Arlington’s major water system upgrades—designed to boost pressures and strengthen delivery across a wide service area. Westra extended critical transmission capacity through dense urban corridors, balancing technical precision with thoughtful planning to minimize disruptions for residents and businesses.

Strengthening a Critical Water Transmission Corridor

Client: City of Arlington

Location: Arlington, Texas

Services: Water Main Design, Sanitary Sewer Design, Utility Coordination, Contract Administration, Schedule Review

Portions of the Davis Pressure Plane had long struggled with reduced pressures due to aging pipe and limited capacity. The City partnered with Westra to design roughly three miles of new 16–inch waterline extending through Arlington and Pantego. The route crossed major roadways, neighborhoods, and built–out commercial areas, requiring careful engineering and a mix of open–cut and trenchless construction—including direct bore and horizontal directional drilling.

Engineering Response

Westra delivered a context–sensitive design that increased transmission capacity with minimal surface impacts. Key elements included:

Planning and design of 14,200 feet of 16–inch waterline
Trenchless crossings using fusible HDPE and PVC beneath major roadways
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) and 12 SUE (QL “A”) test holes to identify conflicts early
Route analysis to avoid trees, utilities, structures, and constrained ROW
Waterline tie–ins and 6– to 12–inch laterals
Coordination with City departments and franchise utilities for relocations
TxDOT permitting and easement support
Reconstruction of 5,500 feet of 10–inch concrete pavement
Design of 2,500 feet of 8–inch sanitary sewer, including manhole upgrades and pipe bursting