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.\ . systems," including the recently somewhat popular but possibly questionable role of homeowners associations, is central to the purpose and need of the study. GOALS OF STUDY The study will focus on Water District 1,2,3,4,5, and 6 in northeastern Colorado as a case study area, although what is learned should be applicable to other areas in Colorado, There appear to be many opportunities for dual water systems in this region as well as the entire state. Many have suggested that dual systems are the most logical way to utilize increasingly scarce water supplies and changes in land use, rather than utilizing expensive treated water for landscape use in unincorporated and even incorporated areas. However, there are many issues and concerns. The raw water service part of dual systems is a fairly new concept for northeastern Colorado. Experience in northeastern Colorado has been more with developers installing and then turning over raw water delivery systems to local subdivision associations using wells, ponds or open ditches, rather than a canal company or irrigation district providing this service. In addition to assessing the long-term sustainability of current approaches to dual system development in the region, the study is designed to investigate the overall potential, benefits and risks of greater involvement by traditional agricultural water suppliers in dual systems. Second, the study is needed to identity a step-by-step, low risk "method of entry" by traditional agricultural water suppliers into dual system service, when their stockholders or district landowners are favorable to this business innovation for their long.standing enterprise. Third, there are many ways in which this new use of irrigation water may be expected to impact a variety of stakeholders. Although dual systems are believed to be beneficial in many ways, numerous issues are being raised in the region about their design and operation, particularly the impact that poorly designed and poorly supervised systems may have on water suppliers, homeowners, and local jurisdictions. Potential liability concerns are also high on the list. A key goal is to assess these liability concerns, as well as the overall economic benefits and costs to various stakeholders, including long range projections of how dual systems might affect regional water rates, land values and land use, capitalization needs of potable water suppliers, growth patterns in unincorporated areas, and the regional water market. Fourth, the study is designed to identify under what set of circumstances agricultural irrigation water suppliers could and would voluntarily expand their operation into dual system service. These circumstances are expected to include the willingness of shareholders or landowners to dedicate a portion of their decreed water rights for this purpose, continued adequate water supplies to maintain irrigated agriculture needs into the futu're, the range of economic benefits to the canal company Or irrigation district, current and future anticipated need for landscape water uses (subdivision densities and types) in unincorporated and incorporated areas, present irrigation system physical condition and the cost of retrofit needs, the general financial health of the agricultural water supplier, the need for metered versuS non. metered service and associated costs, and the demand for annual versus seasonal water service. Many other potentially influencing circumstances will be identified and assessed by the study, resulting in a checklist of key considerations for the boards and staffs of these entities to consider. In summary, the end product of the study is to identity the conditions under which dual systems work effectively, what their benefits can be, how they may contribute to maintaining agriculture as a viable industry in the region, how local jurisdictions can help through zoning and ordinances, why dual systems are (or are not) appropriate for the region, and specific recommendations for a "dual system policy" that will be clear and simple for the needs of jurisdictions, developers and agricultural irrigation water suppliers.