Triview Newsletter — August 2023
Triview Metro District Board of Directors
The Triview Metro District is governed by a board of directors that is elected by residents. We are pleased to share that Amanda Carlton and Jason Gross were sworn into office in May as the district’s newest board members. Both were elected to four-year terms. The other board members are Mark Melville, James Barnhart and Anthony Sexton, all of whom will serve through 2025. The all-volunteer, five-member board appoints and employs the district manager, and together they oversee the operations of the district.
The district thanks outgoing board members Marco Fiorito and James Otis for all of their hard work and dedication to serving our community for the past eight years.
Pueblo County Approves Permit for Water Storage
Summer has finally arrived, and even though we had the rainiest May and June in more than 100 years, the district will continue to experience periods of drought-like conditions, which has put the acquisition and storage of water as a top long-term priority. We thought it would be helpful to share some of the actions we have taken.
Last summer, Pueblo County approved a permit to allow the district to store 999-acre feet of water in the district’s Pueblo Reservoir account. This storage account was made possible after the district was granted a 40-year lease, that was approved by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Pueblo Reservoir. Water storage has become increasingly important given Colorado’s erratic weather. To combat the water uncertainty we have been experiencing, the district has been working through the water court process to adjudicate district-owned water rights and exchanges from below Pueblo Reservoir. These water rights, along with the district’s ability to exchange this water, was the subject of the district’s most recent 1041 permit application in Pueblo County. On July 13, in a hearing before the Pueblo County Commissioners, Triview received a 1041 permit from Pueblo County for the following:
- Exchange of Triview water rights in the Excelsior Irrigating Company, Fountain Mutual Irrigation Company and other water rights delivered via Fountain Creek between Stonewall Springs Reservoir and Pueblo Reservoir;
- Storage of this water in Pueblo Reservoir
- Operation of appropriate rights of exchange on Fountain Creek;
- Delivery through the Pueblo Reservoir North Outlet Works and the Southern Delivery System Pipeline and the Northern Delivery System project (under construction) to Triview’s municipal service area;
- Storage of water in Stonewall Springs Reservoir Complex (approximately 1,850-acre feet) for exchange and use by Triview and others; and Permission to construct Stonewall Springs Central Reservoir.
The graphic above helps illustrate the sources of district water, where it’s stored and also shows the Northern Delivery System that is under construction. The bottom line is that Triview Metro District is working hard to ensure all residents and businesses have access to renewable water, no matter what climate conditions we face.
Stonewall Springs Pump Station
The Stonewall Springs Pump Station can deliver 60-acre feet of water a day. Its purpose is to take water out of Stonewall Springs South Reservoir, discharge it into the Arkansas River and then store an equal amount of water in Pueblo Reservoir. This allows the district to make the exchange from Stonewall Springs so we have water in Pueblo Reservoir to deliver to Colorado Springs. Water is then treated and will be transported to the district through the Northern Delivery System – once it is completed in July 2024.
Every year, there’s an exchange opportunity when there’s enough flow in the Arkansas River. The pump station is sized such that we can move all of our water upstream when the exchange potential exists.
Northern Delivery System Update
Hopefully you’ve signed up for updates on the Northern Delivery System (NDS) from our contractor, Kiewit – https://www.triviewnds.com. This project will bring renewable water to Triview and Forest Lakes customers when it is completed in July 2024. Most importantly, it will allow us to transition from our dependence on nonrenewable Denver Basin groundwater to creating our own water delivery system connecting our community to renewable water rights we have acquired.
So far, Kiewit has completed segments B1 and B2, and will have completed restoration including landscaping and sidewalk by the time you’re reading this newsletter. Next, they will be installing pipe in segments B3 east and west. In August, the pipeline will be installed along Baptist Road – pipe work will be at night as they need to close the road. Please visit the website for the most current information on construction and any road closure.
NDS Construction Update (dates subject to change, visit www.triviewnds.com for latest information):
- Pipeline construction is complete within the Triview Metro District.
- Work on Baptist Road to take place August 4 – 16; will be a nighttime construction project.
- Work continues on Roller Coaster; should be near Stagecoach on July 24.
- Begin pipeline installation on Dean Stoecker Property July 24.
- Patch back Roller Coaster Road late July.
- Begin construction south of Stagecoach on August 10.
- Complete pipeline installation mid-September.
- Begin mill and final overlay of Roller Coaster and Old Northgate Road mid-September.
- Pump station construction August 2023 – July 2024.
Consumer Confidence Report for Water
As we share updates on how the district is continuing to acquire water rights and how we manage wastewater, we also want to provide information about the water we all drink. Our drinking water comes from Denver and Arapahoe aquifer groundwater wells. We routinely monitor for contaminants in the drinking water to confirm we meet federal and state laws.
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Our drinking water is tested for chlorine, copper and lead, among other contaminants, and in every category, there were no violations.
Every community water supplier in Colorado provides an annual water quality report (as mandated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations), and the Triview Metro District’s calendar year 2022 full report can be found on our website. Select the “Customer Resources” tab at the top, the “Water” tab and then the “Consumer Confidence Report” link. If you would like a copy of the report mailed to you, please email info@triviewmetro.com or call the district office, 719-488-6868.