WSP12132

• File Number: 7630.425
• Description: Wild and Scenic - Piedra River
• State: CO
• Basin: Western Slope
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 9/1/1990
• Author: Northern Colo Water
• Title: Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Waternews - Fall 1990
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

.

INCLUSIONS
,

Ft. Lupton, Hudson, Nunn Added
Inclusions Help Rural Communities

Water Quality Concerns
An addillonal 6.650 residents of
Weld County will have access to
higher quality Colorado. Big
Thompson and Windy Gap Project
water due to recent Board action.
The towns of Ft. Lupton, Hudson and
Nunn were Included withm bolh the
NCWCD and Municipal Subdistrict
boundaries.

groundwater quality detenorating
more rapidly in recent years. these
lowns are faced with either sinking
large sums of money into upgrading
treatment systems or looking
elsewhere for a higher quality water
supply. For Ft. Lupton, Hud;;on, and
Nunn. Ihe answer lay in the NCWCD
and Subdistricfs high quality water
supplies.

Looking north in Ft. Lupton. Colorado

Many small rural communttles
throughout northeastern Colorado
are faced with trying to meet stricter
dnnking water standards while at the
same time linding that the quality of
their domestic water, pnmarily
groundwater. is steadily detenoratlng.
With the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) instituting new
stringent drinking water standards.
offIcials in many rural commumtles
dependent upon groundwater are
faced wIth the dilemma of providing
clean waler to their residenlS at a
cost thaI won't bankrupt their already
linancially strapped towns. With the

Congress enacted the Safe Drinking
Water Act In 1974 and extensively
amended It in 1986. The 1986
amendments required the EPA to
Implement a program to regulale 83
different contaminants by June 1989.
With these new safe water standards
in place the SIlual10n has become
crrtical. If the new standards are nOI
met, the EPA can impose stiff fines
on those water suppliers not In
compliance.

The District was approached early
thiS year 10 see If help was possible.
The Board of Directors studied the

.

situation and agreed thaI the
residents of these small towns were
in dire straits. While Inclusion in the
distncts would not be without cost,
thiS step appeared to be the best
alternative. Most. if not all. of these
small rural communities don't have
the financial resources to bear the
costs associated with upgrading
treatment systems to maintain
drinking water quality to meet the
new standards.

Inclusion Process
The costs associated with NCWCD
inclusion are twofold. First. a person
or entity applying for inclusion must
pay all "back taxes" as if they had
been included as an original part of
the District In 1937. Second. after
inclUSion the entity will have to buy .
C-BT or Windy Gap units on the open
market. There are no back taxes
associated with Subdistrict inclusion.

The Conservancy District Act sets
forth how inclusions (and exclusions
for that matter) can occur within a
district. To be included towns must

Gram elevator. Hudson. Colorado

.

6

WATEANEWS FALL 1990