PROJ00166

• Contract/PO #: C153311
• Contractor Name: Nunn, Town of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: Weld
• Bill Number: SB 78-69
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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As a result of the analysis of the water quality data, one additional
hypothesis can be drawn. Due to the physical location of the two shallow
wells which currently supply most of the water for t~e Town, and the fact
that the nitrate content is considerably higher in the Town's wells than
in other private wells located north and west of Town further up the drainage,
it is highly probable that leachates from private septic tanks is polluting
the groundwater in the Spring Creek aquifer at Nunn, The groundwater is
naturally high in nitrates, but it appears that leachates from private septic
tanks are causing an increase in the nitrate content in the groundwater in
the vicinity of the Town's two shallow wells,
The second alternative for improving the quality of water used as the
municipal water supply is to treat the water to remove the nitrates. There
are currently two methods which would be technically feasible for removing
the nitrates from the water supply: (1) a Reverse Osmosis system, or (2)
an Ion Exchange process. One particular factor which is a very important
consideration in proposing a treatment process is the problem associated
with septic tank leachate from the private residences in Town. If the
conclusion reachrd above concerning the groundwater pollution from septic
tank leachates is correct, then the nitrate problem should become more
severe as the Town grows unless a community wastewater treatment facility is
constructed. The treatment system designed to remove nitrates should consider
a possible change or increase in the concentration of nitrates in the future
as the town grows.
A more complete description of the reverse osmosis system and an ion
exchange process for removing nitrates from the existing shallow wells follows:

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