Arkansas - Las Animas Sanitary Sewer System Improvements_Application

Home Browse Search

Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 4. The water activity meets the provisions of Section 37-75-104(2), Colorado Revised Statutes. The requirements/language from the statute is provided in Part 3 of the Criteria and Guidelines. This application meets the provisions of Section 37-75-1 04 (2) (c) C.R.S. by incorporating information contain within the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) report dated 2004, aiding in reducing the water gap identified within the SWSI report within the Arkansas River Basin, incorporating various governmental agencies, environmental, non-profit, and agriculture organizations, water providers, and other stakeholders. These stakeholders all voted unanimously for the project and have placed their endorsement behind the project. Furthermore, the project has not only been presented to and found acceptable by the Arkansas River Roundtable, but has also been noted as acceptable by the: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority. Therefore, this project is meeting all provisions stipulated within Section 37-75-104(2) of the Colorado Revised Statutes. 3. For Applications that include a request for funds from the Statewide Account, describe how the water activity meets the Evaluation Criteria. See Part 3 of Criteria and Guidelines. PromotinQ Collaboration and Cooperation The wastewater collection system improvements project being undertaken by the city will have a positive impact the City of Las Animas. The positive impact will come in the form of breathing new life into an aging and deteriorating collection system. Furthermore, the city will realize costs savings as a result of the project. There will be a direct result in the reduction in the amount of cleaning required in the new replacement sanitary sewer segments. This process is currently outsourced to a private contractor. With respect to promoting collaboration between various entities, this sanitary sewer collection project is not geared for collaboration due to the long distances between Las Animas and other communities. Economics dictate that common systems would be cost prohibitive. The wastewater collection system project is required by the fact that the collection infrastructure has met its life span and is in need of replacement. Therefore, the only cost effective means to fix the stated problem is to replace the infrastructure. This will result in eliminating ground water from entering and raw sewage from exiting the newly replaced segments and potentially reduce the hydraulic loading on the city's WlNTP. This effectively shows the city's commitment to meeting all regulatory requirements, cleaning the environment and taking on the burden of additional debt. The city is taking a proactive approach to its infrastructure, which encourages the surrounding communities to follow suit. By reducing the amount of infiltration into the city's sewer system, the city is showing cooperation with regard to the Arkansas Basin. This reduction will result in decreasing the non-consumptive water loss within the basin and have a net positive impact. The city essentially frees up water currently being evaporated out of the system and subsequent surface flows without any net benefit. Furthermore, the city will also reduce the amount of exfiltration of raw sewage out of their system, which is tied directly to water quality and the impacts water quality has on other various users. As water quality deteriorates, it becomes less useable for municipalities and agriculture, and it contributes to more degradation of the ecology and environmental habitat of the Arkansas River. Thus, the improvement in water quality resulting from this project will help provide a greater amount of useable water supply for both consumptive and nonconsumptive purposes in the basin. This has a net benefit to the underlying water quality. FacilitatinQ Water Activitv Implementation As a result of the various funding agency requirements, the city has pursued all reasonable available F:\WPDATA\Las Animas\Wastwater\06 SSCoI\Financial\Roundtable\06-07 Application (may 07).doc 6