Aurora Seeks Ways to Recycle its Water: Pueblo Chieftain

Home Browse Search

The Pueblo Chieftain Online Page 3 of 4 Aurora currently recycles 40 to 50 percent of its reusable water, either directly or through trades, Kemper said. The largest volume is through a 7,900 acre -foot trade agreement with the city of Thornton. Aurora several years ago bought largely agricultural water rights to the South Platte River from Thornton, which is better situated to divert water from the Clear Creek tributary. Aurora takes that water from the South Platte at Strontia Springs, runs it 30 miles through a pipeline, treats it, uses it and ultimately discharges the wastewater effluent back into the Platte. To complete the trade, Thornton gets credit for that effluent for meeting its return -flow obligations. Similarly, Aurora contributes 4,000 to 6,000 acre -feet of effluent annually as augmentation for Cherry Creek through a regional plan with other metro -area entities. Direct use of nonpotable water to irrigate golf courses, athletic fields and similar expanses accounts for another 1,500 acre -feet of reuse, and some local exchanges may reuse up to 1,000 acre -feet. Aurora last year filed an application in water court for the right to take unappropriated water from the South Platte that may be available in some wet years. If approved, Aurora could divert river water at some point below the metro wastewater treatment plant. That water would be of lower quality than what's delivered from the Strontia Springs diversion point and likely would require a more - advanced level of treatment before entering the domestic - supply system. Kemper indicated Aurora is evaluating several technological options including reverse osmosis to treat the river water, but has not made a choice. Though such river water may include treated effluent, Kemper said Aurora currently is not looking to directly reuse its wastewater to provide drinking water in some sort of a closed, perpetual - recycling system. Colorado Springs, meanwhile, uses 3,470 acre -feet of treated effluent annually for nonpotable applications such as irrigating golf courses, and 5,000 to 6,000 acre -feet of ground and raw (untreated) water. When modifications to the Martin Drake power plant are complete, the annual nonpotable use will increase by another 2,000 to 3,000 acre -feet. Like Aurora, Colorado Springs has no immediate plans to directly reclaim wastewater for domestic uses. Reclamation was considered as an alternative to the SDS, but Colorado Springs Utilities officials have maintained construction and operating costs for such a system would be significantly higher. Remaining effluent is released to Fountain Creek, where it flows to the http : / /www.chieftain.com /print.php ?article= /metro /1092549600/1 8/16/2004