09g‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 3/18/2008
• Description: Colorado Water Resources & Power Development Authority Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

On a whole, the city's water losses approach what AWWA says communities should strive •
for regarding water system losses, which is 10%. The City's water losses vary from year to
year, which is seen in 2004 with 15.0%, 2005 with 10.4% and 2006 with 18.4%. In order to
continue to bring down the water system losses, the City is installing meters through the
project on the last remaining services that are unmetered, which include City Hall, five city
parks, the city swimming pool and the bulk water station. All remaining services on the
City's water system are metered. Furthermore, the project will be replacing several
segments of old piping dating back to the City's original distribution system (early 1900's),
which again will reduce the system's water losses.
The last tool the City uses to reduce water losses and overall water consumption is by
having an increasing block rate structure for their water rates. This promotes water
conservation by fiscally penalizing higher usage. The City noted that the increasing block
rate structure was further increased during the 2002 drought, which effectively reduced
water demand and promoted water conservation within the community. These items
presented above show that the City has in place the necessary tools to effective promote
water conservation and has taken the necessary sets to encourage water conservation
within their water system.
7. The project will be maximizing the City's existing facilities. This is seen both within the raw
water facilities and the water treatment plant (WTP). As stated within the application, the
city has a total of 11 wells, seven of which are used for generating raw water for the WTP
(Well Nos. 1 through 7). The original scope of work was to replace two of the existing wells;
however, the City has already replaced one of those wells which was inoperable (Well No. •
2). In addition, the City has cleaned the well screens of Well Nos. 3, 4 and 5 within the last
year. These undertakings have resulted in the City increasing water production from those
wells by 20 to 30% and have increased their allowable run times by over 400%.
Furthermore, by replacing the second well, the City will now have the ability to produce the
necessary water they are entitled too through their water rights; however, the existing raw
water piping arrangement to the WTP limits the City's water production. Therefore, the City
will be installing a new parallel raw water main from Well Nos. 2 and 3 to the WTP to
increase the capacity within the raw water piping system. Furthermore, the City has
determined that they are moving forward with the secondary recovering reverse osmosis
modules for the expansion of the WTP. This results in no additional need of raw water, but
further creates potable water out of what is currently the waste stream water from the
existing reverse osmosis modules. Therefore, the City is maximizing their existing facilities
within the project to meet their current and future needs.
8. Regarding the Arkansas Valley Conduit, the City of Las Animas has and continues to be a
paying party to the conduit project. The City has and continues to plan to be an active
member in making the conduit a reality for the Lower Arkansas River Valley. With that said,
the conduit will not be constructed in time to meet this new increase in water demand,
which is going to take place this summer. Therefore, the City simply does not have the
option of waiting for the conduit. They have to undertake this project to meet this current
water gap. .
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