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Feasibility Evaluation of the Arkansas Valley Pipeline Water Works! Committee July 2003 Section 1 -Introduction The need for this project is driven by projected population growth, the economically- disadvantaged nature of the lower Arkansas River Valley, and increasingly costly water treatment requirements being experienced by certain water providers in the basin. The local water available from the Arkansas River alluvium has historically been high in Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), sulfates, and calcium, and has objectionable concentrations of iron and manganese. Additionally, various water suppliers have recently reported measurable concentrations of radionuclides in their water. This extremely poor groundwater quality, combined with increasingly stringent water quality regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act, has caused several local water suppliers to invest in expensive water treatment facilities to assure a reliable water supply for their customers. Rather than continuously spending funds for upgraded water treatment facilities and increased operation and maintenance costs, it has been proposed that a pipeline from Pueblo Reservoir could be used to provide higher quality water to users in the Lower Basin. The water available from Pueblo Reservoir readily satisfies the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and is not expected to change significantly in the future. The benefits of this proposal are that the well- defined costs of constructing and operating a pipeline could replace the continuously increasing and unconstrained costs of water treatment. Additionally, the improved quality of potable water will result in a better quality of life for water users in the basin. Background Representatives of local and county governments, water districts, and other interested citizens of the Lower Arkansas River Basin formed a committee in the year 2000 to consider a feasibility study of an Arkansas Valley Pipeline. These interested parties formed the Waterworks! Committee and, through a grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and support of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, commissioned this feasibility study of a proposed Arkansas Valley Pipeline. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of supplying Pueblo Reservoir water via a pipeline to users in the Lower Arkansas River Basin. Key issues that the feasibility study must address include: • Formation of a regional authority to construct, operate, and maintain a pipeline, similar to the Fountain Valley Authority. • Impacts to the quantity and quality of flows in the Arkansas River. • Economic and financial analyses of the project, including evaluation of future costs to satisfy changing water quality regulations. GEI Consultants, InC. 01284 03-07-21 feasibilty report executive summary