PROJ00001

• Contract/PO #: C153168
• Contractor Name: Delta, City of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 40
• County: Delta
• Bill Number: SB 77-35
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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General

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The City of Delta, Colorado, is located in a vast arid
region where water, vital to the economy and our existence, is
rapidly becoming scarce. Yet ironically, ample quantities of water
are abundantly present to satisfy all of our needs except that much
of it seems to be either distributed in the wrong places or is of
poor quality in its existing condition. For example, good quality
water flows freely from springs located at great distances in the
surrounding mountains while the silt laden Gunnison and Uncompahgre
Rivers flow virtually untapped adjacent to the Delta City limits.

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During times when Delta was first established as a Town,
the early settlers attempted to pump water directly from the
Gunnison River. Later, when the Town grew to become a City and the
thirst for a higher quality water became apparent, the City turned to
the more attractive but distant sources on Grand Mesa. Over the
years, improvements to almost every element of the original system
have been made apparently based on the philosophy that the Grand Mesa
source should be developed to the fullest extent possible,

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Now it is apparent that the City's water system is once
again suffering from several problems associated with the ever
increasing demand for a high quality supply of treated water. A
recent study prepared by our firm indicated that future additional
supplies from the Grand Mesa source may not be as great as previously
anticipated. At the same time, maximum demand on the system is fast
approaching the rated capacity of the filtration plant constructed
less than seven years ago. Backwashing of the filters appears to be
necessary at more frequent intervals, and much water is thought to be
wasted in the process. Low water pressures at most taps on Garnet
Mesa during short periods of high demand have been noticeable, Often
times, the filtration plant is unable to furnish treated water i~to
the system at a rate fast enough to fill the reservoirs on Garnet
Mesa during intervals between daily peak demands.

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Attempts to solve some of the above problems have included
arbitrary restrictions on watering of lawns and gardens, backwashing
at irregular intervals at periods of low demand, raising the
tap fee by more than three times the previous amount, discussions
of raising the water rates to curb use, and serious consideration
of requiring meters at every tap in the City. However drastic
these measures may be, they only serve to temporarily suppress
the symptoms of the basic, more essential, problem of supply
and demand. Solution of this complex problem requires continuous
study which takes time and effort.

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