21 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/18/2007
• Description: CF Section - Review of the Rural Water Supply Planning Study
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
wuu-. c~~-cb. state. co. us
r . `~
\' . ~ 'I
Bill Ritter, Jr.
TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members Uo~,e,,,or
FROM: Bruce Johnson, P.E. xarris D. Sherman
DNR Executive Director
Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief
Water Su 1 Plannin and Finance Section Dan McAnhtfe
l~l~ y g Acting CWCB Director
DATE: November 2, 2007
SUBJECT: Agenda Item #21 -November 14-15, 2007 Board Meeting
Water Supply Planning and Finance Section -Review of the Rural Water
Supply Planning Study
Introduction
In 2004, the CWCB delivered the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) Report to the
General Assembly. One of the key findings and recommendations involved the need for
technical and financial assistance to rural areas that need water supplies. To further explore this
issue, the Rural Water Supply Planning Study was completed in June 2007, utilizing $25,000 in
Severance Tax Trust Fund -Operation Account funding. The purpose of this study was to better
understand the unfilled need for funding for rural private nonprofit water systems (PNPWS's) in
Colorado. Typically these systems are homeowners associations, water users associations, or
private nonprofit water companies that rely on domestic wells. These systems have limited
opportunities to obtain infrastructure financing, as compared to municipalities or special districts.
The CWCB can only provide financing for the "raw water" components of improvement
projects, not "treated water" components (treatment, storage, and distribution.)
Discussion
There are 2,131 water systems in Colorado, of which 841 are designated "community" water
systems (defined as those serving at least 25 persons or 15 connections for at least 60 days in the
year.) Of the 841 "community" water systems, there are 174 confirmed PNPWS's, which were
the focus of this study. The study identified ashort-tcrm funding need for Colorado PNPWS's
of a minimum of approximately $40 million. Long-term funding need categories, ranked by
order of highest need, were treated water storage, distribution systems improvements, and
treatment and water supply needs. Please refer to the attached Executive Summary for an
additional overview of the Study.
Water Supply Protection • Flood Protection • Stream & Lake Protection • Rater Supply Planning & Finance
Water Conservation & Drought Planning • Intrastate Water Management & Development