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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />according to the census. Our estimated population today is about <br />1,200. That 50 percent growth in seven years has been caused by other <br />developments in Eagle county, specifically Vail, Beaver Creek, and the <br />potential development at the upper end of Vail. Also. we are looking <br />at the potential. Application has been made, and the process is go- <br />ing through the joint review process right now, of a major ski area <br />with a capacity of 10.000 skiers a day, 16 miles south of town. The <br />major access point to that is through the Town of Eagle. The major <br />source of water that is to be utilized by this project is the same <br />source of water that the town is currently using. We are looking at <br />some fairly substantial impact because of that. <br /> <br />Also. we have a somewhat similar situation as Bennett is in. We have <br />a proposed 190-acre subdivision immediately adjacent to the south edge <br />of town. They are in the process of preparing their preliminary plans. <br />In that 190 acres, they are proposing about 525 dwelling units, which <br />will have a substantial effect on the town system and on the town's <br />use and the projected needs of the community over the next 15 years. <br /> <br />MR. SPARKS: I wish to observe, Mr. Chairman, at this point, that we <br />will hear a common theme in most of these projects before the Board <br />this morning. That is the rather phenomenal growth of the small com- <br />munities throughout Colorado. The Town of Bennett going from 200 to <br />a thousand people. It doesn't seem like much; but when you consider <br />that that is almost a 400 percent increase in its population, the <br />impact upon the system which has existed for 50 years is considerable. <br />The same is true of Eagle, with a 50 percent increase in population <br />there recently. The impact upon the systems is very great. <br /> <br />There are other common prOblems mentioned by the gentleman from Wright <br />Engineers that are going to plague all of these small communities. <br />One is that the Safe Drinking Water Act enacted by Congress recently <br />went into effect this year. This throws an extremely heavy burden <br />upon all the water systems throughout the United States to meet the <br />new standards. There are many, many communities in Colorado that can- <br />not meet the new water standards imposed by the Federal Government. <br /> <br />The cost of improving these systems is very great. The small commu- <br />nities are having a rough time trying to meet increased costs, not <br />only from the Clean Water but also from the Water Pollution Control <br />Act, enacted by both the state and federal governments, whereby the <br />sewage affluent must be cleaned up. <br /> <br />These small communities are experiencing a tremendous financial burden. <br />This message is getting through to the Governor's Office, and also to <br />the ColoradO General Assembly. The State of ColoradO simply must <br />assist in this very vital field of providing domestic water. <br /> <br />You will notice here in the summary for Eagle, as was mentioned by <br />the engineer, the high turbidity of the present water system. This <br />is quite common to the small systems throughout Colorado. As you in- <br />crease the water use in an existing treatment plant, which is not <br />designed to carry the loads that they are now carrying, the turbidity <br />problem and the dissolved solids prOblem become very critical. <br /> <br />-5- <br />