The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently signed a contract to start a project that will deliver clean drinking water to 50,000 Colorado residents.
According to a March 18 news release from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Arkansas Valley Conduit project will move forward following the signing of a three-party contract. The contract was signed after approval of both the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District Board and the Pueblo Board of Water Works.
“This contract signing marks one of the most significant milestones to date towards making the AVC a reality and bringing clean water to communities that desperately need it. It advances the project over 14 miles east from Pueblo Reservoir which puts us much closer to our first participants in Avondale and Boone,” said Brent Esplin, regional director of the Missouri-Basin and Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf regions. “It is also the culmination of years of collaboration between Reclamation, Southeastern and Pueblo Water to deliver a more cost-effective project to people of the lower Arkansas Valley.”
Upon completion, the Arkansas Valley Conduit will provide water from the Pueblo Reservoir to 50,000 in Southeastern Colorado residents in 39 communities east of Pueblo. The project will provide water to Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero, Prowers and Pueblo counties.
The Pueblo Board of Water Works will provide initial treatment and conveyance to the beginning of the Arkansas Valley Conduit near Pueblo Memorial Airport. Upon completion, the conduit will provide up to 7,500 acre-feet annually to these communities.
Pueblo water will receive a $20 million construction recovery fee for upgrades to be able to facilitate this process. Pueblo water will also receive $2 million in investment funds and will receive further funding as necessary to meet the needs of the Arkansas Valley Conduit.
“This project is vitally important to the people of the Lower Arkansas Valley,” Bill Long, president of the southeastern district board said. “It would not be viable and certainly not affordable without the partnership with Pueblo Water, and I would like to express my appreciation to the board.”
