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Agricultural sources of water, whether a traditional or alternative transfer, will have a large part in <br />addressing Colorado's future water supply "gaps." Many of the future agricultural transfers will involve the <br />diversion and pumpback of lower quality water. In addition, M&I users will also seek to recapture their <br />reusable return flows for use in their potable water systems. Without the ability to effectively treat these <br />lower quality sources and produce safe esthetically acceptable potable water, there could be significant M&I <br />water shortages in the state. <br />Zero liquid discharge of these waste streams will be necessary to meet not only the water supply gap as <br />identified in SWSI, but many of the identified projects and processes that involve the reuse of legally <br />consumable return flows. The project will provide important data and costs for water resource development <br />that will benefit multiple users, multiple basins, multiple uses. The project is matched strongly with basin <br />funds and local match. <br />It is important to note how this project relates to a similar pilot study being implemented by East Cherry <br />Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District (ECCV) under a WSRA grant. The ECCV project will test two <br />ZLD processes on a water quality indicative of the South Platte Basin. The proposed MTW study will <br />augment the ECCV pilot study by providing more data on different technologies as well as expanding the <br />study to other state water qualities. It will also diversify the types of communities piloting ZLD, resulting in <br />data applicable to the north Metro area (Brighton), the South Metro area (ECCV), and communities in the <br />lower Arkansas valley (La Junta). Information from the ECCV pilot will be available for use by this project. <br />This study, combined with the ECCV pilot, will provide the State of Colorado a more complete database for <br />means of developing thorough costs and feasibility analyses for ZLD. <br />Issues/Additional Needs: <br />As the applicant indicates, the budget provided is a preliminary breakdown of the expected level of effort <br />associated with the major tasks. A final detailed budget will be assembles once the pilot project is awarded <br />to a Consultant. Please provide this detailed budget. <br />The State of Colorado is interested in the compatibility of these pilot studies with that of ECCV. The <br />applicant states that these pilot studies along with ECCV's will provide a more complete database for <br />developing thorough costs and feasibility analyses for ZLD. To the extent possible, please include a <br />comparison of the Brighton and La Junta pilot tests with the ECCV pilot test in Task 8. <br />Staff Recommendation: <br />The proposed project helps addresses one of the major water issues facing the Arkansas, Metro, and South <br />Platte Basins. Staff recommends approval of up to $700,00 from the Statewide Account, $50,000 from the <br />Metro Account, $25,000 from the Arkansas Basin Account, and $25,000 from the South Platte Basin <br />Account contingent on resolution of the item in the issues/additional needs section. <br />All products, data and information developed as a result of this grant must be provided to CWCB in hard <br />copy and electronic format as part of the project documentation. This information will in turn be made <br />widely available to Basin Roundtables and the general public and will help promote the development of a <br />common technical platform. <br />4