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Greeley Water and Sewer Leases Water to Agriculture
The City of Greeley partners with agricultural water users on various projects including: Colorado-Big Thompson Project (C-BT), Greeley Irrigation Company (Number 3 Ditch), Water Supply and Storage Company, and Greeley-Loveland Irrigation Company. In addition, the city has leased an average of 8,000 acre-feet of water to agriculture over the last 4 years.
In February 2010, the City of Greeley leased 4,000 acre-feet of Colorado Big-Thompson Project water to the Groundwater Management Sub-District (GMS) and Well Augmentation Sub-District (WAS) of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District (CCWCD). Greeley owns 22,539 C-BT units, which have a long-term average yield of 0.7 acre-feet per unit. The cost of the lease is $25 per acre-foot or $100,000.
CCWCD plans to use the leased C-BT water for an augmentation water supply. Since the wells in Central's augmentation plan are junior water rights, they must replace or augment the water pumped to protect senior surface water rights. The volume of water pumped by the wells is called a “depletion.” The lease water will replace depletions to the South Platte River from the pumping of wells in the CCWCD augmentation plan. The result is that CCWCD now has available a greater quantity of augmentation water for future pumping.
“The City of Greeley often provides water to the local agricultural community,” said Harold Evans the Greeley Water and Sewer Board Chairman. “This lease represents another effort by Greeley to support its regional economy,” Evans said.
“Central greatly appreciates this lease, said Randy Ray the Operations Manager from the CCWCD. “Continued cooperation with entities like Greeley is how we get water to our members in our augmentation plans. The goal and focus is to get wells pumping to provide the water for the many farm and ranch families we represent,” Ray said.
What is a Toilet Map?
The City of Greeley Water Department, along with the Information Technology GIS Program, effectively used GIS as a decision-making tool to aid the Water Conservation Program. Single-family residential indoor water use was analyzed throughout the city to create a consumption density map, dubbed the “Toilet Map”. This analysis and product allows water conservation staff to target high consumption areas and market incentive programs, such as toilet rebates, to those that are most inefficient.
Watch this presentation to get more information: http://www.prezi.com/l1_lfykqamcv
Greeley Water Pipeline Update
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. The project began in 2003 and is being completed in several segments with a projected completion date of 2013.
Greeley staff and its consultants evaluated dozens of alternatives to make the six mile connection between the end of the pipe at Shields Street in Fort Collins and the Bellvue plant, otherwise known as the Northern Segment. The Greeley Water and Sewer Department has listened to landowners and stakeholders and have developed plans to reduce effects in areas that require special consideration. In the fall of 2009, Greeley conducted extensive surveys and studies of the area to document the historical and biological resources present in order to find ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to these resources.
The information gathered helped Greeley identify an alignment that avoids three historic bridges and the point of rocks, a geologic feature, along the Northern Segment route. The studies included drilling and soil coring to determine if tunneling is a feasible alternative. To minimize damage to habitat, vegetation, and to minimize the need for surface restoration, Greeley has decided to use tunneling in some areas on several properties. This construction method is less intrusive to sensitive natural and cultural areas and reduces the amount of land disturbed during construction.
This spring, Greeley plans to meet with more property owners along the Northern Segment of the pipeline to help define a final route, and to continue good faith negotiations with landowners to determine just compensation for temporary and permanent land use. Greeley is following a set of Best Management Practices submitted to Larimer County as part of its approval of the Northern Segment. Greeley will also continue to seek ways to minimize the pipeline's effect on individual properties.
Save Water with Greeley's Commercial Water Conservation Programs
Greeley's Water Conservation Program offers services to businesses within the city of Greeley to help save water and lower utility bills. An indoor commercial audit determines areas where repairs and upgrades will achieve maximum water savings. Rebates are available on new appliances and fixtures that will save water in bathrooms, commercial kitchens, laundries, and other areas of your facility. Irrigation audits are also available in the spring and summer, but early registration is encouraged. Those who participate in irrigation audits will get a list of suggested sprinkler system improvements and a customized watering schedule.
Call Ron at 970-336-4227 to learn more about any of Greeley's commercial water conservation programs. Get more information here .
2010 Water and Sewer Rates
The Greeley Water and Sewer Board determined that it is necessary to raise overall water rates for 2010 by an average of 8 percent and sewer rates by 3 percent. Inside city single family residential water rates will increase 10¢ per 1,000 gallons of water used. Single family wastewater charges will increase 3¢ per 1,000 gallons. The typical single family residential customer's combined water and sewer bill will increase $4.43 per month. Greeley 's water rates are about average when compared to other Front Range communities.
The Greeley Water and Sewer Department will continue to work to keep our costs as low as possible while doing what is necessary to provide our community with a secure and reliable supply of water and sewer services that are effective and efficient.
Get more information on the rate information page.
Greeley Water & Sewer Awards Outstanding Employees
Since 1997, the city of Greeley Water & Sewer Department has presented employee awards. The department employs 112 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.