Interdisciplinary Water Resources Seminar GS 592 Development of New Water Resources Wayne Vanderschuere

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Interdisciplinary Water Resources SeminarGS
592Development of New Water ResourcesWayne
Vanderschuere
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Colorado Springs Utilities

• Four service utility providing safe, reliable,
  competitively-priced electric, natural gas, water
  and wastewater services to 500,000 people in
  Colorado Springs and surrounding communities
• Fast growing community with economy based on high
  tech, military, education, services, and tourism
• 2008 Budget 955 Million
• Some of the lowest utility rates, nationally, as
  compared to peers
• Multiple J.D. Power awards for customer
  satisfaction and systems reliability
• About 1,800 employees

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Outline

• Water System Overview
• Water Resource Plan
• The Southern Delivery System
• Challenges

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Water System Map
Fort Collins
Denver
HOMESTAKE Collection System
BLUE RIVER Collection System
BLUE RIVER PIPELINE
FRY-ARK Collection System
LOCAL Collection System
TWIN LAKES Collection System
Colorado Springs
HOMESTAKE PIPELINE
Fountain Creek
Arkansas River
FVA PIPELINE
Salida
COLORADO CANAL Collection System
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
Pueblo
Rocky Ford
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Water System

• Serves 412,800 people with about
• 81,000 acre-feet/year or 26.3 Billion
  Gallons/year
• Growing _at_ 2.2/year
• Infrastructure reaches over 3 rivers basins and 9
  counties.
• 25 Storage Reservoirs
• 28 Storage Tanks
• 1,780 miles of mains
• 7 Treatment Facilities
• Influenced by activities in Colorado, West,
  nationally

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Colorado Springs water supply

• On average 70 of water is delivered from
  Colorado River Basin
• Homestake
• Twin Lakes
• Blue River
• Frying Pan-Arkansas Project
• Via 3 delivery pipelines
• Otero
• Blue River
• Fountain Valley Authority
• Water from Colorado River tributaries
• Reused to extinction via
• exchanges for agricultural uses
• in our non-potable system

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How The System Works
Pacific Storms snow
Mountain Collection System
Transmission Pipeline
Regulatory Storage
Customers
Customers
Exchange
Sludge Line
Distribution System
Non-pot
Gravity Interceptor
Waste Water Collection System
Force Main
Arkansas River Basin Systems
Discharge to Stream System
Exchange
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Water Resource Plan

• Recommendations from extensive public process,
  engineering, and economic modeling

• Multiple solutions to meet Colorado Springs
  water needs through 2046
• All recommendations currently being pursued
• New major delivery system needed for 55 of
  future water supply

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Water Resource Plan

• Conservation
• Low per person usage as compared to peers
• Aggressive block pricing
• Education and incentive programs

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Water Resource Plan

• Nonpotable water development
• 13 of water delivered
• Averaging about 10.2 million gallons/day
• System improvements 23.2 MGD
• Otero Expansion Project done in 2003 for 13 MGD,
  24 increase for this pipeline
• Pinello Wells Rehabilitation for 1.8 MGD - 2003
• Woodmen Upgrades for 0.8 MGD - 2004
• McCleary Wells for 0.6 MGD - 2005
• Northgate and Mary Kyer Wells for 1.9 MGD - 2007
• Pikeview to Mesa Highline to Northfield for 4.4
  MGD - 2008
• Bear Creek Intake for 0.7 MGD - 2008

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need date
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Outline

• Water System Overview
• Water Resource Plan
• The Southern Delivery System
• Purpose and Need
• Delivery and storage of water supply
• Provide redundancy for ageing infrastructure
• Maximize existing assets (water rights)

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Proposed Southern Delivery System Option 2008
Draft EIS 2009 ROD and Construction starts 2012
Pumps pipes 2012 Water treatment Phase
I 2014-2017 Jimmy Camp Reservoir 2020-2030
Williams Creek Res.
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Project Cost (2006 Dollars )

• Phase One Capital Cost 593 Million
• Pipeline, pump stations, 50 million gallons a day
  water treatment plant, and treated water
  pipelines
• Future Phases Capital Cost 440 Million
• Reservoirs and water treatment plant expansions

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NEPA Process

• The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
  requires federal agencies to integrate
  environmental values into their decision making
  processes by considering the environmental
  impacts of their proposed actions and reasonable
  alternatives to those actions. To meet this
  requirement, federal agencies prepare a detailed
  statement known as an Environmental Impact
  Statement (EIS).
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews and
  comments on EISs prepared by other federal
  agencies, maintains a national filing system for
  all EISs, and assures that its own actions comply
  with NEPA.
• Major Milestones and Schedule
• Resource Studies, 2006
• Alternatives Released, 2007
• Draft EIS for public comment, 1st Quarter 2008
• Record of Decision, 1st Quarter 2009

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Planned Environmental Impact Studies
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Water System Map
Proposed Alternative
No Action
7 Alternatives
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County 1041 Process

• In 1974 the Colorado legislature adopted the Land
  Use Act in response to the rapid growth and
  development of the state and the resulting
  demands on its land resources.
• It was a first designed to
• Protect land resources by some control over
  projects of statewide interest
• Allocation resources among competing uses
• Promulgate guidelines
• Not prohibit

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SDS Summary

• SDS is a cooperative regional project
• Lowest cost alternative
• Environmentally responsible
• The Southern Delivery System will NOT
• take another communitys water
• impact Pueblos Historic Arkansas Riverwalk
• dry up the Arkansas River through Pueblo
• dry up lower Arkansas Valley

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Summary

• Water planning risks are significant
• Supply side
• Demand side
• Infrastructure
• A Comprehensive water supply plan needs
• Diversity
• Flexibility
• Project risks are significant
• Permitting Federal and local
• Political opposition
• Environmental opposition
• Financial and rate impacts
• Water projects are EXPENSIVE!

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Outline

• Water System Overview
• Water Resource Plan
• The Southern Delivery System
• Challenges

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Challenges

• Demand gt Supply need
• Growth in Colorado and the West
• Groundwater reliance
• Climate variability and change
• Aging infrastructure
• Regulatory
• Water quality

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Challenges

Competing Uses
Watershed Forest Management
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Challenges the biggest

• People!!!!
• Engineering
• Scientific
• Business Financial
• Legal
• Relationships communications
• Leaders!

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Questions Discussion

• Wayne Vanderschuere
• 719.668.3811
• www.csu.org
• www.sdseis.com

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• Hidden slides past here print separately and hold
  in reserve.

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Regional Cooperation

• Strategic Benefits for SDS Future Water Supply
  Operations
• Water Leasing
• Future Water Projects
• Historic Partnerships
• Pueblo Board of Water Works
• City of Aurora
• Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District
• Upper Arkansas Voluntary Flow Program
  (Recreational interests)
• March 2004, June 2004 IGAs
• Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District
• Colorado River Water Conservation District
• Stormwater Management
• Colorado River planning and operations
• Colorado River Supply Availability Study
• Virtual Shoshone operations
• Programmatic Biological Opinion compliance and
  activities
• Colorado Water for 21st Century (HB-1177)
• IBCC, Roundtables, and Working Group
  contributions
• Colorado Water Conservation Board

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Return Flows
It is estimated that by 2046 the non-native water
in FC will increase to 1/3 of creek flow (over
1990-2006 was 17).
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Gallons per Capita Day Comparison
Single Family Single Family Single Family System-Wide Potable System-Wide Potable System-Wide Potable
  2000 2005 2006 2000 2005 2006
Colorado Springs 127 99 96 217 175 174
Denver 165 125 137 220 168 182
Aurora 132 120 127 192 150 152
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Sediment Loading

• Sediment loads increase with increased flow rates
  
• Significantly less sediment carried at base flows
• 15 tons/day of suspended sediment is carried for
  transmountain return flow rates (35 cfs, 2006
  reusable return flow)
• 400 tons/day of suspended sediment is carried for
  average yearly flow rates (165 cfs)
• 200,000 tons/day of suspended sediment is carried
  during a channel forming flow rate (1.4 year
  rainfall event, 2900 cfs)

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Water Sources Normal Hydrology Current Levels