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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />4. Conclusions <br /> <br />There are approximately 174 community PNPWSs in the state as of 2007, according to our count <br />using in the state's SDWIS database. Mapping of community PNPWSs in Colorado reveals <br />clusters ofPNPWSs in locations such as Otero County, La Plata County, and Garfield County <br />into neighboring Pitkin County. <br /> <br />Our interviews with county planners revealed that a few counties such as Garfield, Routt, and <br />Rio Grande are likely to have PNPWS growth rates greater than the existing population growth <br />rate projection. Other counties appear likely to have little growth in PNPWSs. On average, we <br />project that PNPWSs will grow at about the rate of projected population growth for the state. <br />This would result in approximately 187 community PNPWSs in 2010 and 238 in 2020. <br /> <br />This study has identified a short-term funding need of approximately $40 million for PNPWSs. <br />This estimate comes from a combination of the CDPHE's Drinking Water Grant Program project <br />eligibility list for fiscal year 2007, and a current limited survey of PNPWSs. The $40 million <br />short-term need estimate comes only from systems contacted by CDPHE and this study. Many <br />systems were not contacted, and, as a result, this estimate only represents a lower-bound estimate <br />of total PNPWS funding need in Colorado. Our survey of long-term funding need shows that <br />distribution system investment and treated water storage are the highest projected long-term <br />funding needs for PNPWSs, but that all categories of water system functions will have <br />significant long-term funding needs. The general understanding in the water industry that there is <br />a significant and growing need for water systems to replace their aging infrastructure supports <br />our finding that the greatest category of need is in distribution system improvements and treated <br />water storage. <br /> <br />Several funding sources are available to assist water systems in Colorado. Overall availability of <br />funding sources in the state is good - the SDWRF projects that it can meet projected demand for <br />loans into the future. The sources for which PNPWSs are eligible, however, all have some <br />limitation on the funding available. The CDPHE grant program has been funded for only two <br />years since its establishment, RCAC loans and grants are designed to meet the short-term gap <br />financing need, interest rates on long-term loans from USDA Rural Development are higher than <br />some PNPWSs can afford, and meeting the standards of the application process often results in a <br />2- to 3-year process. These circumstances lead many PNPWSs to assume that when looking for <br />financing, they must concentrate on private sources. <br /> <br />SCl1199 <br />