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Work on E-470 pipeline begins
Douglas County residents traveling on E-470 who notice crews installing a giant new water pipeline now have proof their water might someday come from renewable sources instead of nonrenewable, underground sources.
By By: Christine McManus
Douglas County residents traveling on E-470 who notice crews installing a giant new water pipeline now have proof their water might someday come from renewable sources instead of nonrenewable, underground sources.
The new 14-mile pipeline between Quebec and Smoky Hill roads will be the first section of a year 2050 regional water loop, said Pat Mulhern, manager of the Inverness Water and Sanitation District. He also organizes collaborative efforts among a group of south metro water providers.
The Douglas County Water Resource Authority and the South Metro Water Supply Study Board includes water providers that serve Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Roxborough, The Pinery, Meridian, Stonegate, Cottonwood, Inverness, the Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority and several other small providers.
The area has 240,000 people who use an estimated 45,000 acre-feet per year, Mulhern said. In 2050, estimates indicate that 640,000 people will use 114,000 acre-feet of water annually.
An acre-foot is the amount of water that would cover an acre, 1 foot deep. A household of four people with a lawn uses approximately half an acre-foot of water per year.
The entire Denver Basin underground water source has 467 million acre-feet, of which 259 million is estimated to be extractable, Mulhern said. That means the area between Greeley and Larkspur could mine 2.6 million acre-feet per year for 100 years. But mining water rapidly is not the best use of the aquifers, Mulhern said.
The south metro water providers came together when, more than a decade ago, the voters of Colorado turned down the proposal to construct Two Forks Dam, which would have created a reservoir in Deckers in Pike National Forest, about 20 miles west of Castle Rock. The reservoir would have supplied growing communities in Douglas County which now rely on nonrenewable groundwater.
The south metro water providers' goal is to work with renewable water suppliers, such as Denver Water and the Colorado Water Conservancy District. The water providers are beginning to develop a regional water system that would accommodate peak summer demands and lawns, even during a drought, with a population nearly triple what it is now in the south metro area.
During wet years, excess Denver Water could be pumped into the underground sources. During dry years, reservoir water could be supplemented by underground water. The supplemental sharing is known as conjunctive use.
Conjunctive use would require a major, long-term infrastructure investment from all the water providers in the region. A study ending early next year will show costs of such infrastructure, Mulhern said. Reuse and conservation will be major components of any arrangements, Mulhern said.
Crews recently began working on the first section between Quebec and Smoky Hill roads. The pipeline is proposed to eventually go along E-470, west to U.S. 85, south along U.S. 85, east to Crowfoot Valley Road and up around to E-470 again. The pipeline would connect with Denver Water systems.
The growing East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District recently took the first step toward a south metro surface-water pipeline.
"We're optimistic about the larger project here, based on the good working relationship we have with Denver Water and the Western Slope," said Dave Kaunisto, East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District manager.
To aid the effort, Cottonwood-area developer Scott Carlson donated right-of-way across property he plans to develop just west of Cottonwood. And the East Cherry Creek Water and Sanitation District made the pipeline larger than it would have otherwise. East Cherry Creek recently bought water from The Willows subdivision, a neighborhood that recently joined Denver Water.
The growing East Cherry Creek district supplies water to 45,000 people in Centennial and eastern Arapahoe County. The district grew by 5,200 households the past few years, and expects to serve 70,000 people by 2012, Kaunisto said.
It's too late to get cooperative water systems installed for drought relief this time around, said Denver Water spokesman Charlie Jordan. But the drought solidified Denver Water's commitment to work with south metro water providers, Jordan said.
"We've been interested in what the Douglas County Water Resource Authority is doing. We've been at the table a while with them," Jordan said. "We're there to cooperate for the long term, not just because we have urgent needs. We support conjunctive use. It's going to take a while."
If the Douglas County group, Denver Water and the Colorado Water Conservancy District had a plan in place, Denver might not be so strapped for water during this drought, Kaunisto said. The aquifers might have been able to supplement mountain reservoir supplies if the pipelines were in place.
However, the drought is slightly distracting all water providers from the larger, long-term focus, which might help or hurt conjunctive use, Kaunisto said.
The new 14-mile pipeline between Quebec and Smoky Hill roads will be the first section of a year 2050 regional water loop, said Pat Mulhern, manager of the Inverness Water and Sanitation District. He also organizes collaborative efforts among a group of south metro water providers.
The Douglas County Water Resource Authority and the South Metro Water Supply Study Board includes water providers that serve Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Roxborough, The Pinery, Meridian, Stonegate, Cottonwood, Inverness, the Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority and several other small providers.
The area has 240,000 people who use an estimated 45,000 acre-feet per year, Mulhern said. In 2050, estimates indicate that 640,000 people will use 114,000 acre-feet of water annually.
An acre-foot is the amount of water that would cover an acre, 1 foot deep. A household of four people with a lawn uses approximately half an acre-foot of water per year.
The entire Denver Basin underground water source has 467 million acre-feet, of which 259 million is estimated to be extractable, Mulhern said. That means the area between Greeley and Larkspur could mine 2.6 million acre-feet per year for 100 years. But mining water rapidly is not the best use of the aquifers, Mulhern said.
The south metro water providers came together when, more than a decade ago, the voters of Colorado turned down the proposal to construct Two Forks Dam, which would have created a reservoir in Deckers in Pike National Forest, about 20 miles west of Castle Rock. The reservoir would have supplied growing communities in Douglas County which now rely on nonrenewable groundwater.
The south metro water providers' goal is to work with renewable water suppliers, such as Denver Water and the Colorado Water Conservancy District. The water providers are beginning to develop a regional water system that would accommodate peak summer demands and lawns, even during a drought, with a population nearly triple what it is now in the south metro area.
During wet years, excess Denver Water could be pumped into the underground sources. During dry years, reservoir water could be supplemented by underground water. The supplemental sharing is known as conjunctive use.
Conjunctive use would require a major, long-term infrastructure investment from all the water providers in the region. A study ending early next year will show costs of such infrastructure, Mulhern said. Reuse and conservation will be major components of any arrangements, Mulhern said.
Crews recently began working on the first section between Quebec and Smoky Hill roads. The pipeline is proposed to eventually go along E-470, west to U.S. 85, south along U.S. 85, east to Crowfoot Valley Road and up around to E-470 again. The pipeline would connect with Denver Water systems.
The growing East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District recently took the first step toward a south metro surface-water pipeline.
"We're optimistic about the larger project here, based on the good working relationship we have with Denver Water and the Western Slope," said Dave Kaunisto, East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District manager.
To aid the effort, Cottonwood-area developer Scott Carlson donated right-of-way across property he plans to develop just west of Cottonwood. And the East Cherry Creek Water and Sanitation District made the pipeline larger than it would have otherwise. East Cherry Creek recently bought water from The Willows subdivision, a neighborhood that recently joined Denver Water.
The growing East Cherry Creek district supplies water to 45,000 people in Centennial and eastern Arapahoe County. The district grew by 5,200 households the past few years, and expects to serve 70,000 people by 2012, Kaunisto said.
It's too late to get cooperative water systems installed for drought relief this time around, said Denver Water spokesman Charlie Jordan. But the drought solidified Denver Water's commitment to work with south metro water providers, Jordan said.
"We've been interested in what the Douglas County Water Resource Authority is doing. We've been at the table a while with them," Jordan said. "We're there to cooperate for the long term, not just because we have urgent needs. We support conjunctive use. It's going to take a while."
If the Douglas County group, Denver Water and the Colorado Water Conservancy District had a plan in place, Denver might not be so strapped for water during this drought, Kaunisto said. The aquifers might have been able to supplement mountain reservoir supplies if the pipelines were in place.
However, the drought is slightly distracting all water providers from the larger, long-term focus, which might help or hurt conjunctive use, Kaunisto said.
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