Posted on January 3, 2011 by Chad Bergman
The City of Aurora has agreed to provide a permanent water supply to the Roxborough Water and Sanitation District. This initial contract is for 90 years (with automatic 90-year renewals). A secure water supply ensures the protection of property values now and in the long-term for the Roxborough community.
History-Roxborough’s water comes from the City of Aurora. In 1972, the Roxborough Metropolitan District (name changed in 2006 to the Roxborough Water and Sanitation District, RWSD) entered a 50-year Agreement with Aurora for water. The Agreement was set to expire in 2022. The early years of the District were difficult (the District was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1975).
How Roxborough Gets Its Water-Aurora has a “diversion pipe” at the Strontia Springs Reservoir (six miles up Waterton Canyon on the South Platte River.) The water is then piped down to the Aurora Rampart Reservoir-just southeast of the West Metro Fire Station. RWSD then takes water by pipeline to its 1958 treatment plant north of the West Metro Fire Station. The water is filtered to meet or exceed the strict water quality standards established by the State of Colorado and then delivered by pipeline to serve the Roxborough area. Roxborough does not use groundwater.
The New Agreement-In March of 2010, Aurora Mayor Edward J. Tauer and RWSD General Manager Larry Moore announced a cooperative commitment to accelerate discussions regarding Roxborough’s need for a perpetual water agreement. Since that time, staff, lawyers, and water experts hammered out a new Agreement that was formally agreed to by the RWSD’s Board of Directors on December 6 and by the Aurora City Council on December 20. The formal signing of the Agreement by Mayor Tauer and RWSD Board President Phil Scott is expected soon.
In a letter to local water users, Board President Scott said, “The original agreement signed in 1972, was set to expire in less than 12 years. So several years ago, we reached out to you asking for support in practicing greater water-efficiency We knew it would be challenging, but given our State’s decreased annual precipitation, especially since the 2002 drought, and the rising cost of water and treatment, we had to develop new ways in which water consumption was utilized in our community’s best interest. Through both District operations and customer’s own improved practices, this allowed us to negotiate a flexible agreement which puts to rest, once and for all, whether the Roxborough community has a permanent water supply. We do!”
Further details on the new permanent water supply will be available over the next few months at a series of public meetings to be scheduled and also on the RWSD Web site Rox Water
Posted In: News
Tags: 2011, aurora, board, district, Larry, Moore, permanent, roxborough, RWDS, sanitation, water
