2008 Water Summit
South Metro Water Supply Authority
(SMWSA)
Who is SMWSA?
• SMWSA is an organization of 13 water
providers that work together to develop
long-term reliable water supplies
through regional water-rights
development and infrastructure.
SMWSA serves roughly 80% of Douglas
County and 10% of Arapahoe County.
Why & When was SMWSA Formed?
• SMWSA stemmed from
the Douglas County
Water Resource
Authority and the South
Metro Water Supply
Study Board.
• SMWSA was formed
in 2004 when larger
providers requested
to work with one
regional entity.
• SMWSA’s 13 providers plan, direct and implement
water-development opportunities as a single entity.
• SMWSA maximizes infrastructure efficiency and
acquires water rights and renewable water now, and
for the future.
Members have funded more than $350 million in water projects since 2000.
SMWSA Governance
Rod Kuharich
Executive Director
Britta Strother
Water Resource Specialist
Frank Jaeger Dave Kaunisto Charlie Krogh John Hendrick Ron Redd
Parker W&S District East Cherry Creek Pinery W&W District Centennial W&S Town of Castle Rock
Board Member Valley W&S District Board President District Board Member
Board Member (Representing) Board Member
Arapahoe County W&W Authority
Castle Pines Metro District
Castle Pines North Metro District
Cottonwood W&S District
Inverness W&S District
Meridian Metro District
Roxborough Park Metro District
Stonegate Village Metro District
Today’s Focus
• DCWRA Relationship • Reuse Efforts
• Where SMWSA is Today • Northern Pipeline
• Storage Projects • Future Projects
How does SMWSA differ from
the DCWRA?
• SMWSA focuses on
water development • DCWRA focuses on
and distribution. water conservation
• SMWSA is a project- and education.
focused organization.
• Every SMWSA provider is also an active member of the DCWRA.
• Water conservation is an integral aspect of SMWSA’s short- and long-
term planning.
• DCWRA involvement allows SMWSA to expand its ability to influence
water education and conservation efforts in Douglas County.
• SMWSA members have the most state-approved conservation
plans than anyone in Colorado.
DCWRA & SMWSA are
Sister Organizations
• Castle Pines North
Metro District had the
first state-approved
conservation plan.
• Five other SMWSA-
member plans are
approved or pending.
• Roxborough reduced
its total water usage
by more than 17%
since June 2007.
Where are we Now?
• Water providers have been working on long-
term water solutions for decades.
• In 2007, SMWSA presented its Regional
Water Master Plan.
– The Plan outlines strategic initiatives to meet
future demands by reducing groundwater use and
increasing the role of renewable supplies.
– The Plan ensures the water future of current
users, and accounts for future growth projections.
Master Plan’s Phased Approach
• Interim: Participating providers are seeking surface
renewable water supplies on a temporary basis from
other water providers and using local pipelines and
infrastructure to transport water to service areas.
• Mid-Term: Acquire additional new water supplies to
meet goals through the early 2020s, while phasing
capital investments in major new water facilities.
• Long-Term: Acquisition of additional water rights.
• If successful, the
Master Plan will help
SMWSA providers
slash groundwater
use to less than half
of where it is today
by 2030.
SMWSA Accomplishment
• Thirteen different water providers have come
together and are committed to working
together on regional projects to maximize
efficiency.
What is an Acre-Foot?
• One acre-foot (af) of
water is equivalent
to one foot of water
on top of a football
field, not including
the end zones.
• One acre-foot of
water supplies two
families of four for a
year.
SMWSA Water Usage
• SMWSA provider total water use has increased approx. 10%
since 2000, despite significant growth in Douglas and Arapahoe
Counties.
• The calculated water usage per home has decreased approx.
20% in the same timeframe.
– This reflects the significant water-conservation efforts of SMWSA
members.
SMWSA Storage Capacity
• In 2000, SMWSA
members had 4,000
af of storage
capacity.
• Today, SMWSA
members have
27,200 af.
• By 2015, this
number will more
than triple to 93,200
af of storage
capacity.
Rueter-Hess Reservoir
• On Sept. 5, 2008, SMWSA member Parker Water and Sanitation
District broke ground on the expansion of Rueter-Hess Reservoir.
– It is the largest reservoir built on the Front Range in nearly 30
years.
• The reservoir’s storage capacity will be expanded from its original
16,000 af plans, to 72,000 af, by 2011.
• In addition to Parker, SMWSA members Castle Rock, Castle Pines
North and Stonegate have purchased storage capacity in the
Reservoir.
• Rueter-Hess will serve as many as 400,000 people over the next 50
years.
Frank Jaeger Dam
• SMWSA board member and SEBP member, Frank
Jaeger, is the driving force behind Rueter-Hess
Reservoir.
• The dam at Rueter-Hess is to be named the Frank
Jaeger Dam.
South Platte Reservoir
• A project by
Centennial Water
and Sanitation
District, the Reservoir
holds more than
6,400 af of water.
• The Reservoir stores
surface water from
Centennial’s water
rights on the South
Platte River.
South Platte Reservoir
• Completed in 2007, and
operational in February
2008, the reservoir was
55% full in May 2008.
• Centennial used the
majority of the water to
meet demands this
summer, and the
reservoir is expected to
significantly fill again
through winter 2008
and spring 2009.
Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation
• A flood-control reservoir on the South Platte River,
Chatfield Reservoir stores floodwaters from the
South Platte River and Plum Creek.
• The reservoir reallocation will provide SMWSA
members with 10,000 af of additional storage.
Chatfield Reservoir
• Several SMWSA providers are developing plans and designs for
diverting return flows from Plum Creek at Chatfield Reservoir.
• This water source will be treated and delivered to Castle Rock,
Castle Pines North Metropolitan District and Castle Pines
Metropolitan District through Centennial’s existing infrastructure.
SMWSA Reuse
• SMWSA’s goal is to maximize the efficient
use of water resources.
• Through the Master Plan, SMWSA will more
than double its recycled water use by 2030.
– From 11,900 af to 24,000 af.
• SMWSA will increase water
reuse and recycling to nearly
90%.
Lone Tree Creek Water Reuse Facility
• The $29 million facility was operational in September 2008 and
celebrates a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 10.
• The plant’s capacity will range from 3.6 to 7.2 MGD.
• Treated water will be used for irrigation, and will serve
Arapahoe, Cottonwood and Inverness.
Lone Tree Creek Water Reuse Facility
Joint Water Purification Plant
• The Lone Tree Facility and Joint Water Purification Plant work in
tandem so that Arapahoe, Cottonwood and Inverness can fully
reuse all of their water supplies.
• The Plant uses a cutting-edge reverse osmosis process that
removes any contaminants in the water.
• Slated to open in late 2009, the Plant will have an initial capacity
of 9 MGD, and will increase to 12 MGD by 2012.
Castles Interconnect
• Castle Rock, Castle Pines
North, Castle Pines Village
and Centennial are also
exploring the possibility of
connecting their water
systems to allow for more
efficient use of water
supplies, along with
evaluating other reuse
alternatives.
• The proposed pipeline is in
the planning phase and
would enable reuse of return
flows on Plum Creek.
Northern/Western Transmission Pipelines
Integral pieces in connecting SMWSA members.
• The northern 32-mile pipeline begins in the Barr Lake area,
while the western 16.5-mile pipeline starts at the East Cherry
Creek Valley Western Well Field near C-470 and University
Boulevard.
• Both pipelines have a capacity of 47 MGD and convey water to
ECCV storage tanks at Smoky Hill Road and E-470.
Northern/Western Transmission Pipelines
• Not including East
Cherry Creek Valley, six
SMWSA members own
capacity in the Northern
Transmission System,
totaling 5.7 MGD.
• SMWSA is in
negotiations with ECCV
to obtain additional
capacity in both lines,
and a draft agreement
is being considered.
Projected Mid-Term Costs
• The projected cost of implementing the mid-term plan
infrastructure is approximately $460 million.
– Not including local storage or water rights.
• Implementing the Master Plan is more cost effective than
continuing to rely on groundwater supplies.
• SMWSA will continue to responsibly manage the pace of its
investments.
SMWSA Down the Road
• SMWSA is committed to working
cooperatively with other regional water
agencies, and together, to find additional
sources of sustainable surface water.
• SMWSA and Denver Water have a pilot
agreement through 2011 for raw water.
– Established in 2007, SMWSA and Denver Water
work cooperatively to test the feasibility of a future
operations agreement and to promote water
conservation and efficiency.
Denver Water & Aurora Water
Discussions
• SMWSA is involved in
ongoing discussions with
Denver Water and Aurora
Water regarding the most
efficient and cost effective
manner of meeting long-term
water supply needs. While
discussions are preliminary,
SMWSA looks forward to
developing mutually
beneficial solutions to these
complex issues.
SMWSA Future Water Rights
• SMWSA is pursuing
water rights acquisitions
from the Barr Lake area
to Sterling. Any
acquired rights will feed
into ECCV’s Northern
Transmission System.
SMWSA Conjunctive Use
• Centennial’s aquifer storage and recovery program
has allowed them to successfully inject potable water
back into the Denver Basin aquifers, helping to
sustain water levels for the past 15 years.
• SMWSA may be able to regionalize Centennial’s
ASR program through a $100,500 grant from the
Denver Metro Water Roundtable.
Aquifer Supply Study Grant
• Through the grant, SMWSA will conduct a
regional aquifer, storage and recovery study.
– Including conjunctive use of surface and
groundwater, as well as optimizing aquifer use.
• The assessment will evaluate the impacts of
continued reliance of non-renewable
groundwater supplies in the south-metro area
and explore a more coordinated regional
management of water resources.
SMWSA’s Promise
• SMWSA is dedicated to continuing our unified approach to
water development and implementation to deliver concrete
solutions.
• SMWSA will continue to explore other opportunities, collaborate
on infrastructure projects and execute the Master Plan and Mid-
Term Plan.
• SMWSA members are working together so that Douglas County
will continue to be a good place to live, work and play.
Rural Water Supply Act
• The Act authorizes the
establishment of a rural
water supply program in the
17 western states and will
provide assistance with
appraisal investigations and
feasibility studies for rural
water projects.
• The Act is beneficial in
helping to finance the
development of water
systems and resources of
Douglas County rural-water
users.
Questions?
[Link]
303.409.7747
info@[Link]
