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<br />1. No Action: <br /> <br />If a raw water system is not built one of the following consequences will result: <br />a) development of the 18 acre parcel will be prohibited due to an inability to properly <br />irrigate it. b) an expensive water treatment plant expansion will become <br />necessary-raising tap fees and lowering monthly water allowances, c) reservoirs will need <br />to be built on the 18 acre parcel with the attendant problems described in alternative 3. <br /> <br />Due to potential consequences, and the 18 acre parks importance to residents of Ridgway, <br />this alternative has been rejected. <br /> <br />2. Expand Treatment plant and use existing water lines for irrigation: <br /> <br />Adding irrigation of an 18 acre parcel to current municipal water demands will exceed <br />existing capacity. The design capacity of our current plant is approximately .55 cfs with a <br />potential peak capacity of.6 cfs. We estimate that an 18 acre park will require <br />approximately 97 Ac Ft (31.5 million gallons) over the seven month watering season. If <br />Ridgway were to irrigate the 18 acre park with treated water, peak use would approach <br />.9 cfs-well beyond capacity. The projected cost of expanding our water plant to serve this <br />need is $285,000. It is neither economically feasible nor logical to expand the treatment <br />plant for irrigation needs. This alternative has been rejected. <br /> <br />3. Build Reservoirs on Town Parks to Fill Irrigation Needs: <br /> <br />The on-site alternative has three options: <br /> <br />a) Use tail water from an adjacent subdivision. This option necessitates putting a small <br />reservoir on the 18 acre parcel. Unfortunately, the Town would not have control of the <br />water rights or the ditch system to the extent necessary to ensure consistent and adequate <br />irrigation water on a long term basis. <br /> <br />b) Use groundwater. This option would require the Town to acquire rights or trade <br />existing rights. Also, groundwater level varies depending on the time of year and the <br />amount of moisture. It is questionable whether this option will provide consistent and <br />adequate irrigation on a long tenn basis. <br /> <br />c) Use existing water rights and existing easements to run water through ditches to a pond <br />on the 18 acre parcel, and pump from there. This option would require the Town to <br />maintain ditches through residential areas. <br /> <br />Exercising any of the above options would obligate the Town to at least $1800 annually in <br />electrical costs for pumping (based on 1999 electric prices and dollars) in addition to <br />substantial maintenance and capital construction costs. Another significant issue is that <br />Ridgway regularly has problems with mosquitos and spraying Malathion is a politically <br />difficult measure of containment. Control of standing water is the Town's preferred <br />method of mosquito control. Finally, these alternatives offer only isolated solutions and <br />are not readily amenable to expansion. <br /> <br />-6- <br />