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<br />. <br /> <br />00254S <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />desalting system would be economically feasible at this time for <br /> <br /> <br />only one of the cities involved in the study, the city of La Junta. <br /> <br /> <br />The problem with economic feasibility conclusions is that <br /> <br /> <br />the average citizen may not agree as to what is economically feasible <br /> <br /> <br />for him. A cost range of from 76 cents to $1.22 per thousand gallons <br /> <br /> <br />for desalting water would mean that water rates to the consumer in <br /> <br />the selected communities would be at least doubled, and in some <br /> <br />cases quadrupled. In relation to the other expenses of running a <br /> <br /> <br />household or a business, water is still a cheap commodity. Never- <br /> <br /> <br />theless, it is difficult for water users to accept a drastic increase <br /> <br /> <br />in their water bills regardless of the reason. <br /> <br /> <br />The dilemma of improving water quality for small commu- <br /> <br /> <br />nities can be best summarized by the study result for the town of <br /> <br /> <br />Las Animas. As I stated initially, this community has the poorest <br /> <br /> <br />water quality of any incorporated city within the state of Colorado. <br /> <br /> <br />Total dissolved solids exceed 3,000 ppm. I can testify from per- <br /> <br /> <br />sonal experience that the water is most unpalatable. Many, if not <br /> <br /> <br />most of the residents of the town, purchase bottled water for <br /> <br /> <br />drinking. This community, which is located on the lower end of <br /> <br /> <br />the Arkansas River in Colorado, has a population of approximately <br /> <br /> <br />3,500. The estimated capital cost of a desalting plant is about <br /> <br /> <br />2.2 million dollars. The estimated cost of water from this plant <br /> <br /> <br />is $1.22 per thousand gallons. Although the city was anxious to <br /> <br />-8- <br />