On May 28, DCWRA, together with its partners S. Metro Water Supply Authority, the Rural Water Authority of Douglas County, and the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners, submitted a statement of interest in the Rural Water Supply Program to the US Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation.  The Reclamation Rural Water Supply Program has just been rolled out.  The program can provide both planning assistance, and the opportunity for federal loan guarantees to help fund regional water infrastructure in the Douglas County area.  For purposes of this program, all of the region is eligible for inclusion under this new Reclamation program.

If selected by Reclamation for further consideration, DCWRA and its partners will enter into a appraisal phase.  Existing documentation will be used to make the case to Reclamation that there is a water issue in the region, that there is a solution, and that the solution is affordable.  An early draft of such an appraisal document appears on this website.  While this document is incomplete, it may give readers a good sense of the direction being pursued with the very early phases of this regional infrastructure planning effort.

If the appraisal phase passes muster, a feasibility study will examine the finer points of how interconnecting pipelines, treatment facilities, and pump stations may be constructed to deliver sustainable water supplies throughout the region.  Several different alternatives may be examined.  Public engagement is a significant component of the feasibility process.  The Colorado Water Conservation Board, in conjunction with the Metro Basin Roundtable, has granted DCWRA $600,000 to pursue the opportunity.  An intergovernmental agreement has been signed by DCWRA and its partners to pursue the opportunity with Reclamation.

If the feasibility process is successful, Congress may authorize construction of the project, and provide financial support for construction in the way of federal loan guarantees.  Loan guarantees are not free money, but lower interest loans that reduce the overall cost of repayment of the project.  Letters of support for the pursuit have been written by Sen. Mark Udall and Congressman Mike Coffman.  If you  believe you have a water issue, if you believe in regional solutions, if you're willing to pay your own way, and if you are ready to act now, this regional effort may be of interest to you.

The S. Metro Water Supply Authority (www.soutmetrowater.org) focuses on bringing incremental water molecules into the region in order to help lessen reliance upon Denver Basin Groundwater, an essentially non-renewable water supply.  Among other efforts, S. Metro is currently pursuing the WISE Partnership with Denver Water and the City of Aurora.

The Rural Water Authority of Douglas County was created in October 2008 to focus on water issues of interest to rural water users in the County.

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners has named water their #1 priority.  A May, 2010 County commissioned community survey revealed that 83% of residents believe water entities should work together more closely to produce a solution to the region's water issues.

Douglas County Water Resource Authority (DCWRA) is active in supporting water education and conservation efforts in the region, as well as providing a forum for discussion of public policy issues surrounding water.  For additional information, www.dcwater.org.