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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Adequate design of improvements for Delta I s municipal water
system depends on the accurate estimation of future municipal and
industrial water requirements. Municipal requirements include uses
for residential and commercial purposes. Residential use is further
broken down into domestic and lawn irrigation purposes. Many factors
influence water use in residential areas in varying degrees according
to the type of use, the type of service provided, and the period of
demand in question~

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The principle factor influencing total annual water use in
residential areas is the population and resulting number of homes.
Beyond the number of homes, the three major factors which affect
water use in residential areas are economic level of the consumer,
climate, and whether the consumers are metered or billed on a flat
rate basis. Other factors which influence water use in residential
areas to a lesser degree are the cost of water, water pre~sures, and
irrigation restrictions. All of these factors as they relate to the
City of Delta will be discussed in the following paragraphs.
Estimated per capita production and a water use forecast based on the
apparent water use trends will be presented at the end of this
section.

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Population

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Total water consumption is directly related to the population
served. The 1970 census report listed a total population of 3,694
persons residing in the City of Delta and 15,286 persons residing in
the county. Historic population in the City of Delta, the Delta
Census Division, and Delta County is shown in Table TV-1.

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The age distribution of the population in the City nf Delta and
Delta County is considerably different from other parts of Colorado.
Delta County has the greatest percentage of people over 65 of any
county in the State. Incoming citizens include a large number of
retired or semi-retired people while a large number of young adults
seek employment out of the county where salaries are higher. The
median age of all males in the City of Delta was reported to be 37.5
years, and the median age of all females in the City of Delta was
reported to be 43.4 years in 1970. Age distribution by sex in the
City of Delta as reported in the 1970 census is shown in Table
IV-2.

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IV - 1

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