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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1983-184-10/18/1983-ESTABLISHING POLICIES REGARDING WATER CONSERVATION AND THE RELOCATION OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT NO. 1 RESOLUTION 83-184 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS ESTABLISHING POLICIES REGARDING WATER CONSERVATION AND THE RELOCATION OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT NO 1 WHEREAS, the citizens of Fort Collins established a water utility in 1882 for the purpose of providing the City with a safe and adequate supply of water, and WHEREAS, the City constructed its first water treatment plant (Water Treatment Plant No 1) in the Poudre Canyon in the early 1900' s and for the last seventy years the City has made numerous improvements and modifica- tions to the plant, and WHEREAS, in 1977 the City was required to meet or exceed new water quality standards for drinking water as promulgated by the State and Federal governments, and WHEREAS, Water Treatment Plan: No 1 was not originally designed to meet the new water quality standards and could not do so without reducing its capacity from 20 million gallons per day to 13 million gallons per day, and WHEREAS, recognizing the need to make extensive repairs to Water Treatment Plant No 1, the City engaged a consulting engineer in 1981 to study and make recommendations regarding the various age and process related problems at Water Treatment Plant No 1, and WHEREAS, the City Council , Water Board, and City staff have reviewed the consulting engineer' s reports and have discussed the various alterna- tives at Water Board meetings and City Council Work Sessions, and WHEREAS, it is the finding of the Council of the City of Fort Collins, based upon the recommendations of the Water Board, that it is in the best interest of the City, now and in the future, to abandon the existing Water Treatment Plant No 1 and construct a new water treatment plant to be located near the mouth of the Poudre Canyon, and WHEREAS, the construction of a new water treatment plant would 1 Expose the City to less risk of future financial loss and disruption of service due to potential flooding on the Poudre River 2 Provide more flexibility in utilizing the City' s present and future water rights 3 Provide more expansion capability 4 Provide more potential for possible regionalization of water treatment operations with adjacent water districts and WHEREAS, the neighboring cities of Loveland, Longmont and Boulder have instituted water metering, and WHEREAS, the reduction of peak day water use can result in delaying the construction of future water treatment plant expansions, and WHEREAS, the City has entered into cooperative agreements with adjoining water districts who have adopted water metering, and WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated that through education that the citizens have responded to water conservation programs which reduce water demands NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that Section 1 For the purpose of constructing a new water treatment plant, the City staff should proceed to acquire the necessary property, obtain operating agreements with other agencies (if necessary) , and select a consulting engineer to provide conceptual , preliminary, and final design and inspection services Section 2 The existing Water Treatment Plant No 1 site should be preserved as a park for the residents of the City of Fort Collins As part of the park development, provisions should be made to protect the unique environment of the site which presently exists Section 3 The Water Board and the City staff should proceed to develop a comprehensive Water Conservation Program for the purpose of delaying future water treatment plant expansions by reducing peak day demands Such a program should review and may include, but not be limited to the following a A cost effective phased metering program, including an evaluation of water rates and "green lawn" maintenence, which, upon passage of an appropriate ordinance amending section 112-33 of the City Code, may require the installation of water meters in all new construction and the installation of meters upon the transfer of property where meters were not previously installed b An expanded water conservation education program and water conservation enforcement program Section 4 The Water Board and the City staff should continue to work with the adjacent water districts on the concept of establishing a regional water authority -2- Section 5 The Water Board and staff will initiate a drought hazard study including an assessment of water supply strategies for drought periods Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held this 18th day of October , A O 1983 May r ATTEST city clerk- -3-