PROJ00455

• Contract/PO #: C153583
• Contractor Name: Ute Water Conservancy District
• Water District: 0
• Bill Number: XB 99-999
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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with the demographics of the area. As of January 1987, the District provided service to 17,729
customers consisting of 125 agricultural, 16,800 residential, and 804 commercial/industrial clients.

The recent changes from predominantly rural, farming usage to residential and commercial usage,
along with population growth in the District's service area, demands a large and sustainable volume
of high quality water. The primary concerns in providing water to the treatment facility are the
capacity and reliability of the existing raw water transmission system.

2.2.2 Transmission System

The District's raw water transmission system delivers water from the Plateau Creek Drainage to its
treatment plant located near Cameo via a pipeline water delivery system configured as shown on
Figure 2.1. The pipeline originates at the tailrace of the Molina Powerplant at an elevation of 5472
feet and travels the valley bottom to Jerry Creek Reservoirs No. I and 2. This section of the
pipeline consists of approximately 22,750feet of 42-inch diameter concrete pipe and 10,200feet of
36-inch diameter concrete pipe.

These reservoirs store and provide a continuous supply of water to the treatment plant via
approximately 78,280 feet of 24-inch diameter concrete pipe. This pipeline follows the Plateau
Creek alignment in or adjacent to the creek bed to a point near its confluence with the Colorado
River. At this point, the pipeline passes through the western wall of the Plateau Creek canyon via
a 2,640-foot long unlined tunnel. The pipeline then travels along the south side of Interstate 70 to
the vicinity of Cameo, and then up the mesa where it connects with the treatment plant intake
structure at an elevation of 5,160 feet.

Currently the District is capable of treating and distributing 22 MGD of raw water in the existing
treatment plant. The existing Plateau Creek pipeline capacity is physically limited to 10 MGD.
Presently, the raw water transmission line is operating at capacity. To meet the anticipated future
water demands, the capacity of this transmission system should be increased.

During the spring of 1983 and 1984, Plateau Creek experienced floods that caused the creek to
change its course in several locations. The pipeline cover and support was eroded at several
locations by the flood, causing the pipeline to fail. The pipeline breaks were very difficult and
expensive to repair and the water service was interrupted for over a month. Based on this
experience, the district has determined that improved transmission system reliability is desirable and
is seeking a reliable means of supplying raw water for the next twenty years.

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