Water Projects
SMWSA plans, directs and implements water-development opportunities for the south-metro area. SMWSA is dedicated to solving problems, maximizing infrastructure efficiency and ensuring that renewable water needs are met for all of its constituents.
Organization members have collectively funded nearly $350 million in projects that support the area’s water resources and supply.
Master Plan
SMWSA is laying the framework for a prosperous water future. The entity released a master plan in the summer of 2007. The SMWSA master plan singles out actionable strategies that will reduce the area’s dependence on nonrenewable water supplies, by aggressively identifying and pursuing renewable sources. This is a collaborative and proactive effort to address water issues and provide innovative solutions for the south-metro region’s current and future water supply.
Click here to download the complete Water Master Plan.
Other SMWSA Project Involvement
Storage
Rueter-Hess Reservoir Expansion - Parker Water & Sanitation District (SMWSA Member) is leading area water providers with the expansion of the Reuter-Hess Reservoir. Once complete, the reservoir will provide 72,000 acre-feet of water storage capacity. Reuter-Hess is the largest reservoir to be built on the Front Range in 30 years.
South Platte Reservoir - In February 2008, the 6,400-acre-foot South Platte Reservoir became operational. Constructed by Centennial Water and Sanitation District, the Reservoir stores surface water from Centennial’s water rights on the South Platte River and holds surface water and return flows, delivered through Chatfield Reservoir outlets, to supply SMWSA providers.
Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation – The reallocation will provide SMWSA members with 10,000 acre-feet of additional storage. This water source will be treated and delivered to Castle Rock, Castle Pines North Metropolitan District and Castle Pines Metropolitan District through Centennial Water and Sanitation District’s existing infrastructure.
Reuse
Lone Tree Creek Water Reuse Facility – The facility is a $29 million project by Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority, Cottonwood Water and Sanitation District and Inverness Water and Sanitation District that uses state-of-the-art technology to treat and distribute “recycled” water. The facility will be used in conjunction with the Joint Water Purification Plant (slated for completion in late 2009); so proximate providers will have the capability to reuse 100 percent of the supply. These projects help fulfill one of SMWSA’s current and long-term objectives of maximizing the efficient use of water resources.
The Northern Project
ECCV Northern Pipeline – East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District’s 32-mile pipeline is an integral piece of infrastructure that will connect the entire SMWSA membership. Not including ECCV, six SMWSA members own capacity in the pipeline totaling more than 5.7 million gallons per day. SMWSA is in negotiations with ECCV to obtain additional capacity. The pipeline conveys water from the Beebe Draw near Barr Lake to ECCV’s storage tanks near Smoky Hill Road and E-470.
Grants and Studies
Aquifer Supply Study Grant – In 2008, the Denver Metro Water Roundtable awarded SMWSA a $100,500 grant to conduct a regional aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) study, including conjunctive use of surface and groundwater, as well as optimizing aquifer use. SMWSA hopes to expand Centennial Water and Sanitation District’s ASR program – which has a 15-year track record of successfully injecting potable water into the Denver Basin aquifers – through the grant, which was funded by the State of Colorado under House Bill 1400.
Rural-Urban Water Model Study - Parker Water & Sanitation District and Colorado State University, with funding from SMWSA and the Metro Roundtable, are teaming up to conduct a major study on ways to sustain irrigated agriculture while meeting increasing water demands. The results of the three-year, $1 million-plus project will be used in both agricultural and urban water policy development.
ZLD Pilot Study - ECCV is conducting a zero-liquid discharge pilot study scheduled for the spring and summer of 2008. Funded by a Colorado Water Conservation Board grant and SMWSA, the pilot program uses reverse osmosis to treat water to remove hardness and total dissolved solids while minimizing the amount of concentrate that needs to be discharged. Results of the study will be used to address the best way to treat the concentrate waste stream from reverse-osmosis treatment and will benefit other Front Range water providers that need this level of treatment.
Regional Cooperation
Denver Water & Aurora Water – SMWSA is involved in ongoing discussions with Denver Water and Aurora Water to identify and evaluate opportunities to address long-term water supply needs for all Denver-metro communities in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. In November 2008, the three entities signed a Memorandum of Understanding expressing a united commitment to explore ways in which the joint acquisition or sharing of infrastructure, water rights, or other assts may be mutually beneficial. The three also agreed to work together on outreach activities.
Denver Water Pilot Project - SMWSA and Denver Water are working cooperatively to promote water conservation and efficiency and test the feasibility of a future operations agreement between the two water entities via a pilot project that will exist through 2011. The pilot project builds on a study SMWSA’s predecessor, the South Metro Water Supply Study Board, conducted with the Colorado River Water Conservation District and Denver Water in 2004 and is another step toward regional cooperation.
Rural Water Users - SMWSA is also working with the Rural Water Authority of Douglas County, established October 2008, which assists in the development of water supplies for residents in unincorporated Douglas County.
Project involvement is voluntary. Participating members fund projects through a combination of user fees, tap fees, property taxes and grants. SMWSA is a non-profit, Title 29A entity.