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Greeley Water & Sewer Awards Outstanding Employees

Since 1997, the city of Greeley Water & Sewer Department has presented employee awards. The department employs 121 full time workers and annually recognizes two employees from Water and two employees from Wastewater who are worthy of recognition. The Water & Sewer Department's Best Suggestion award serves to recognize employees for great ideas that have been suggested over the past year and approved for implementation, while the W.D. Farr Top Hand award recognizes employees for their outstanding work ethic and job performance that routinely demonstrates a commitment ‘to go above and beyond'.

The winner for the water Top Hand award is Luis Maldonado. Luis started his career 39 years ago as a laborer in the Water & Sewer Department and in 1998 he was promoted to Crew Supervisor in distribution operations. Throughout his years of service to the department, he has always projected a positive “can-do” attitude and consistently demonstrates leadership by setting the example and high standards for others to follow. Luis has always excelled in the operation and utilization of construction equipment and project management. Now as a crew supervisor, his leadership and experience helps the division to successfully achieve construction, maintenance and customer service goals.

The wastewater Top Hand award winner is Roger Herman. Roger has been employed at the City of Greeley’s Water Pollution Control Facility for nearly 40 years. His forte lies in his diligence in checking plant equipment, attending to the care and maintenance of the facility’s sprinkler system, and working in the most inclement or unpleasant working conditions and surroundings without complaint. Roger is very good at taking care of the “odds and ends” that usually are of little concern to others and which often go unnoticed. His many years of experience with the pumps, motors and related rotating units at the plant make him an invaluable employee.

Steve Robben is the water Best Suggestion winner for his problem solving abilities that transfer into cost savings to the city. He suggested measures for the sodium hypochlorite project, by choosing a pump alternative that saved the department $4,500. Steve also designed and installed the SCADA systems for monitoring and controlling the city's non-potable facilities on the #3 Ditch. By eliminating the need for the instrument design engineer and electrical contractor, Steve saved the department approximately $20,000.

The wastewater Best Suggestion award went to the entire wastewater operations staff, which includes Wade Blehm , Grant Ruff , Marc Ortiz, Jerry Mongan, Chris Walter, David Sgranfetto, Rudy Montanez , and Richard Hopp . For $350, the crew developed a control and management system to treat high strength ammonia. By installing a crossover pipe and valve, the treatment of high strength ammonia has been streamlined and improved. This has resulted in a daily 307 pound reduction in ammonia waste that requires treatment.

Poudre River Water Safe for Drinking After Asphalt Spill Clean Up

The city of Greeley plans to reopen its intake on the Cache la Poudre River on September 16th. The intake had been closed since August 25th because of two asphalt spills in the river.

Asphalt trucks overturned in the Poudre River on August 25th and September 3rd. Both spills were located upstream of Greeley's Bellvue drinking water treatment plant. Within minutes of the August 25th spill, Greeley's drinking water intake on the Poudre was closed. Since water has been determined to be safe, crews will prepare to reopen by flushing the intake.

Extensive tests were conducted by the City of Greeley, the City of Fort Collins, and independent contractors hired by the US Environmental Protection Agency. On September 8, the EPA finished its cleanup efforts on the second spill. The EPA directed water sampling efforts at points downstream of the spills. The samples were sent to independent labs in Fort Collins and Denver . The City of Greeley and the City of Fort Collins conducted further tests and determined that water from the Poudre River is once again a safe drinking water source.

During the cleanup and testing efforts, the Bellvue drinking water treatment plant took Colorado Big-Thompson Project water stored in Horsetooth Reservoir instead of drawing from the Poudre. The Boyd Lake drinking water treatment plant does not use water from the Poudre River Basin and it increased production. Greeley's water supply comes from four different rivers, the Cache la Poudre, Big-Thompson, Colorado, and the Laramie. Taking water from various sources helps secure Greeley 's water supply, as a drought protection mechanism and in emergency situations such as the asphalt spills.

Rainwater Collection in Colorado

Rainwater harvesting continues to interest citizens who want to maximize their water usage. Because other states around Colorado allow rainwater collection, citizens consistently ask, “Why not Colorado?”

Colorado law states that all moisture that falls within the state borders belongs to the people of Colorado who can determine its use. The Colorado constitution declares that water must be used according to priority of appropriation or “first in time, first in right.” The system of appropriation was established to protect the water rights of the senior water rights holders who have invested heavily in their farms or water supplies. Therefore, diverting rainwater falling on your property is usually taking water from someone who has a prior right to it and who is counting on that water.

Two new laws regarding rainwater harvesting were passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor during the 2009 legislative session. One applies only to those who are not served by a drinking water system. The other law allows for a few new subdivisions to act as “pilot” or test systems for rainwater harvesting. Neither of these applies to Greeley water customers.

More information
Rainwater Collection Fact Sheet (pdf)
Bill Summary SB09-080: Rainwater Collection
Bill Summary SB09-1129: Pilot Projects for Residential Rainwater Collection

Greeley Water Conservation: Sustainable Water Planning

Greeley's approach to water conservation efforts has been recognized as a sustainable water planning practice.  An article in a national legal publication noted that “[t]he most comprehensive, resource-specific approach to water supply conservation is in water planning. The Water Conservation Plan prepared by the City of Greeley, Colorado, and adopted pursuant to Colo. Rev. Stat. 37-60-126, develops a planned approach of encouraging efficient water use". Click here to read the full article.

“The Relevance of Land Use Law to Climate Change Preparedness: The Case of Sustainable Water Practices,” by Keith Hirokawa, 2009, Trends, 40:5. © by the American Bar Association. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the American Bar Association, or the Section of Environment Energy & Resources.

The Greeley Water and Sewer Department is building a 30-mile, 60-inch diameter pipeline that will transport drinking water from its Bellvue Water Treatment Plant northwest of Fort Collins to Greeley . The pipeline will add capacity to Greeley 's existing lines in the area, originally built between 1907 and 1952. Greeley 's proposed route has been approved by Larimer County , but the City still must conduct site surveys, geologic and biological investigations and analyses before finalizing the pipeline path across individual properties. The project began in 2003 and is being completed in several segments with a projected completion date of 2013.

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