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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4 - Information Item: Update on Carter Lake Pipeline CITY OF BOULDER WATER RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD NON-AGENDA ITEM TO: WRAB Members FROM: Bob Harberg, Utilities Planning and Project Management Coordinator Joe Taddeucci, Project Manager DATE: June 15, 2009 RE: Information Item - Update on Carter Lake Pipeline The Carter Lake Pipeline would carry Colorado-Big Thompson and Windy Gap water from the St. Vrain Supply Canal below Carter Lake to the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Water is currently transported from Carter Lake to Boulder Reservoir and the WTP in the 21-mile-long, open, seasonally operated St.Vrain Supply and Boulder Feeder Canals. Delivery of water in a buried pipeline would result in improved water quality, greater protection of this source water from future degradation and a year-round supply of water to the Boulder Reservoir WTP. The project is a collaborative effort among Boulder, Left Hand Water District, Little Thompson Water District, Longs Peak Water District and the Town of Frederick. The project is also referred to as the Southern Water Supply Pipeline II. In Sept. 2007, WRAB and staff reached a joint proposal to continue preliminary work on the Carter Lake Pipeline Project while evaluating other project priorities, achieving superior performance, maximizing efficiency, providing outstanding customer service and minimizing the need for rate increases to the extent practical. It was recommended that staff continue to pursue federal funds for the Carter Lake Pipeline project funding and complete the Community and Environmental Assessment Process (CEAP) along with other permitting activities, limited design and right-of-way acquisition to maintain forward progress on this project. Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD), which is managing the project on behalf of the participants, submitted its 1041 application for the Southern Water Supply Project II to Boulder County in May 2009. Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners hearings have not yet been scheduled. A link to the 1041 application is available on the Utilities Division Carter Lake Pipeline Web page (www.boulderwater.net ) under the projects and programs tab. For additional background information, including an update on the status of the joint staff/WRAB consensus proposal developed in Sept. 2007, see Attachment A. Staff is currently preparing the CEAP for the proposed Carter Lake Pipeline and will bring the draft CEAP to WRAB for consideration during the summer of 2009. Staff believes that completion of the CEAP is a necessary step to position the city for consideration for federal funding. The current environment requires proj ects to be ready for construction within a short period of time in order to be considered for federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The project participants have represented that the project can be ready for construction within 2 years. Page 1 While project design could be completed in a relatively short period, the permitting and project approval process requires more time. Staff considers the relatively small investment of time and effort involved with completing the known permitting requirements as a small risk for the city to take compared to losing the opportunity for federal project funding. Completion of the CEAP will also demonstrate the city's desire to continue collaboration and cooperation in this project to the other project participants. The CEAP would also be used as a mechanism to decide how aggressively the city should attempt to position itself for possible future federal funding. This would include possible right-of-way/land acquisition, preliminary/final design and other possible strategies for funding. Acceptance of the CEAP will not constitute final project approval. City Council would still need to specifically approve project funding including probable rate increases either as part of the annual budget process or as a budget supplemental request. The 2008-2009 budget included $1 million in funding for permitting and critical right-of- way acquisition for the Carter Lake Pipeline. The approved 2009 budget and 2009-2014 CIP slated the Carter Lake Pipeline for design fundingof $2,686,618 and construction funding of $26,866,177 in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Staff is currently recommending delay of construction funding until 2016-2017 in the 2010 budgeting process. This memo provides a summary of the project purpose and need, preferred project alternative and the impact assessment portion of the LEAP. The preferred project alternative maximizes the use of existing infrastructure by utilizing existing NCWCD easements for the majority of its length. Most environmental impacts are short-term in nature and can be successfully mitigated. Beneficial social impacts include long-term protection of source water quality and provision of consistent water quality throughout the Boulder service area, and the project could result in beneficial economic effects to some industries. Project cost, timing and effect on water rates continue to be significant challenges. 1) Preferred Alternative - Boulder County 1041 Permit Application Pipeline alignment alternatives were developed using each of the project participant's specific delivery point, required hydraulic grade line at the delivery point, and the participant's required delivery flow rate. The selected alternative parallels the existing Southern Water Supply Pipeline (SWSP), which extends from the St. Vrain Supply Canal at Carter Lake south to its terminus at the City of Broomfield, for much of the route. Benefits of paralleling the existing alignment include limited new permanent easement acquisition, limited environmental and public impacts, limited constructability issues, and potential lower project costs. As a result, the existing SWSP pipeline route was considered as the primary route alternative for the majority of the new pipeline. The proposed pipeline leaves the existing SWSP easement near the Longmont Vance Brand Municipal Airport. NCWCD examined more than 40 alternative route segments to Page 2 achieve water deliveries to the Left Hand Water District Dodd Water Treatment Plant (LHWD Dodd WTP) and the City of Boulder's Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Plant (WTP) from the existing SWSP easement to the delivery points. Generally speaking, the alternative alignments were developed by examining existing corridors, such as roadways, railroads or railroad beds, canals, pipelines or existing utilities, and boundaries of land parcels. These alternative route segments were initially screened based upon a series of qualitative criteria, including a consideration of environmentally sensitive areas, future development, property boundaries, and existing rights-of-way. The initial qualitative criteria screening reduced the number of feasible route segments to approximately 35 individual segments. The remaining alternative segments were then subjected to a quantitative analysis, which included estimated construction costs for each individual segment. Finally, a combined analysis of both quantitative and qualitative scores for each route alternative was utilized to arrive at two (2) alternative routes for the southwestern portion of the project. These routes were the most cost effective routes that provide relatively distinct alternative routes for delivery of flows to the Left Hand Water District Dodd WTP and the Boulder Reservoir WTP. The preferred alternative (Figure 1) causes less impact to agricultural lands of national, state and local importance, floodplain and riparian habitat, and residential and commercial properties, and it also avoids significant traffic disruptions on Airport Road in Longmont and along Highway 119. Estimated construction costs for the preferred alternative are also lower than for the other alternative. Attachment B contains a summary of environmental, social and economic affects associated with construction of the preferred Carter Lake Pipeline alternative. 2) Status of Federal Funding Staff has continued to pursue federal funding for the project through both the Water Resources and Development Act of 2007 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Carter Lake Project was included on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers list of projects to consider for economic stimulus funding. The city was notified in April 2009 that it did not receive funding in the initial round. It is not clear at the present time whether additional projects may become eligible for stimulus funds at some future time. However, because of deadlines associated with the funding, it is likely that projects which are ready for construction will receive priority consideration should additional funding become available. Staff recommends continuing to move forward with the project approval process at a cautious but steady rate to ensure the city is in the best possible position to receive any available funding. In February 2009, the project participants submitted a request to the Colorado Congressional Delegation to support a Fiscal Year 2010 request for $10 million in federal funding for the Carter Lake Pipeline Project, as was authorized by the 2007 Water Resources and Development Act. Page 3 3) Next Steps Staff will return to WRAB with the draft CEAP for the Carter Lake Pipeline Project during the summer of 2009. It is anticipated that a City Council call-up opportunity will occur during the fall of 2009. Concurrently with completion of the LEAP, staff is continuing to work on specific items in the Sept. 2007 WRAB/staff consensus proposal. If you have questions or comments concerning the Carter Lake Pipeline CEAP, please contact Robert Harberg at (303) 441-3124 or harbergbk bouldercolorado.gov or Joe Taddeucci at (303) 441-3205 or taddcucciiLa)-bouldercolorado.gov . Attachments: Attachment A: Carter Lake Pipeline Project Background Attachment B: Summary of Project Purpose and Need and Project Impacts Page 4 Figure 1: Preferred Alignment ~~f- 1 Poina - R '.++ss Town of ! ;;SSA; i 1 00. FI low WIT- :;pt'y~ t .J Point ,:!C~"~ • ~'1C1 Pn1nt 1~'. t i' r. a ~w 1 *s~ elry or 1 Longmont ! = r S gig •1.Awlr s~'v ' Q: ~I Paint r . i kwS,+• . lie,: ! a 4 YSxa y 1~'~ -t! u A. yet,'.- r- r; C n ♦ I R / ,'~`w, _ ~•~'+Y7i _ ltd; 4f~!! c;' ~.~~'t -,uu,; 9r - .t "GSCy■~ Point f1.-4~m r8'1~Y ~r~ec, Txle66pplkan [on..il.r . _ hip a Fn{ ri~nw Altginstww Source: EDAW/AECOM, 2009. Southern Water Supply Project II, Boulder County 1041 Application, prepared for Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. Page 5 ATTACHMENT A CARTER LAKE PIPELINE PROJECT BACKGROUND Source water protection has become a critical component of providing safe and reliable drinking water due to a greater understanding of the limits of treatment processes in removing contaminants. Most water utilities institute a multiple barrier approach which includes preventing contaminants from entering the water supply, in addition to providing multiple water treatment processes. Increased levels of contaminants in source waters cause a greater potential for contaminants to pass through the treatment facility. Over the past decade, water utilities have increased reliance on source water protection to provide a complete overall prevention and treatment barrier for public health safety. As a result of these concerns, the city initiated the Source Water Quality Planning Study - Phase 1, completed by Black and Veatch Consulting Engineers (B&V) in April 2003. This study provided the city with an overview of alternative approaches available to improve and protect source water quality. Recommendations from the the Phase I study included further consideration of the management of Boulder Reservoir and the construction of a pipeline from Carter Lake to the Boulder Reservoir Wastewater Treatment Plant (BRWTP). The city participated in the Southern Water Supply Project II Feasibility Study, completed by Integra Engineering, January 2006, to evaluate a pipeline from Carter Lake to the BRWTP. The proposed Carter Lake Pipeline, also called the Southern Water Supply Project II (SWSP II), is a collaborative project between the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) and four northeastern Colorado municipal water providers, including Boulder. The proposed pipeline would carry Colorado-Big Thompson Project and Windy Gap Project water from Carter Lake to project participants. During a similar time period the city also initiated the Pre-design Report for Near-term Improvements for the BRWTP, dated 2003. The 2003 Pre-design report listed costs for near-term, mid-term and long-term improvements at the treatment plant, but made no long-term recommendations. Membranes, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and ozone were proposed as possible long-term improvements. In March 2007, the draft report on the Integrated Evaluation of the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Plant (BRWTP) Source Water Protection and Treatment Improvements developed by Black & Veatch Corporation was presented to the Water Resources Advisory Board. There were differing professional opinions about pursuing the pipeline at that time. On June 28, 2007, the Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB) voted (3- 2) to delay construction of the Carter Lake Pipeline primarily due to the costs, until other treatment alternatives had been constructed and improvements to the Boulder Feeder Canal had been completed. The Planning Board voted (6-0) to pursue the pipeline Page 6 project. Staff recommended that the city pursue the pipeline project and continue its efforts to secure federal funding to partially offset the cost of the project. In September 2007, a WRAB/staff consensus proposal was approved by a 4-1 vote based on reconciling various facts and opinions. The consensus proposal supports continuing work related to pipeline planning and preliminary engineering and permitting and right- of-way acquisition, while evaluating other utility capital improvement and operating priorities with the goal of achieving superior performance, maximizing efficiency, providing outstanding customer service while minimizing the need for rate increases to the extent practical. The proposal also includes nine different work items including pursuing federal funding for the pipeline. Progress on each of these work items is summarized below: 1. Continue to pursue federal funding for the Carter Lake Pipeline - Staff has continued to pursue federal funding for the project through both the Water Resources and Development Act of 2007 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Carter Lake Project was included on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers list of projects to consider for economic stimulus funding. The city was notified in April 2009 that it did not receive funding in the initial round. It is not clear at the present time whether additional projects may become eligible for stimulus funds at some future time. However, because of deadlines associated with the funding, it is likely that projects which are ready for construction will receive priority consideration should additional funding become available. Staff recommends continuing to move forward with the project approval process at a cautious but steady rate to ensure the city is in the best possible position to receive any available funding. In February 2009, the project participants submitted a request to the Colorado Congressional Delegation to support a Fiscal Year 2010 request for $10 million in federal funding for the Carter Lake Pipeline Project, as was authorized by the 2007 Water Resources and Development Act. 2. Communicate interest in proceeding with the project to other project stakeholders after prioritization with other capital needs and funding issues are addressed- Staff most recently discussed the project with NCWCD staff in May 2009 and expressed the city's interest in continuing with permitting and right-of-way acquisition for the project. Construction is currently shown in the 2016-2017 CIP. NCWCD staff indicated that at present, this would be consistent with the timing of other project participants. 3. Include funds in the 2008 CIP budget for limited permitting and right-of-way acquisition - The CEAP currently in preparation was specifically included in the budget. 4. Peer Review - A peer review of the Utilities Division of the Public Works department was completed by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF) in October 2008. The review included a 420-question employee self-assessment survey that, in part, created the basis for a week-long peer review of the water and wastewater utilities. The Peer Review Team, composed of four Page 7 volunteer utility professionals from across the country, toured the utility facilities, interviewed staff and generated a final report of their experienced views. Staff has developed an implementation plan for the peer review recommendations. 5. 20-year CIP - A 20-year CIP for source water facilities was developed and included in the Source Water Master Plan (SWMP). WRAB recommended acceptance of the SWMP on January 12, 2009, and City Council accepted the plan on April 7, 2009. 6. Alternative Scenarios and Revenue Requirements for the 20-year CIP - Alternative scenarios for completing the projects identified in the 20-year CIP are investigated as a component of the annual budgeting process. 7. Barker Water System - City Council approved the development of an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Town of Nederland and one-time capital and annual operation and maintenance cost contributions for upgrading the Nederland Wastewater Treatment Plant on Nov. 25, 2008. The IGA is scheduled for consideration by City Council during 2009. Barker system security upgrades have been installed. Security and vulnerability issues will continue to be addressed. 8. Boulder Feeder Canal - In 2008, the following activities to mitigate run-off to the Boulder Feeder Canal took place: • Outfalls 79 and 90 located within the Cemex cement plant property were graded to an existing underpass • Outfalls 370 and 357 north of Prospect Rd were graded to existing crossings • Outfall 364 north of Prospect was crossed • Crossings of outfalls 379 and 372 were planned, but have not progressed due to down gradient landowner requests. During 2009, six outfalls between Boulder Reservoir and Niwot Road will either be crossed (620, 643 and 655) or graded to existing crossings (594, 609 and 616). 9. Minor additional treatment barriers at Boulder Reservoir WTP - WRAB was updated on the status of mid-term improvements to the Boulder Reservoir WTP in 2008. This project includes several improvements; a sodium hypochlorite feed system, a third dissolved air floatation (DAF) pre-filtration unit, effluent flow meter replacement, additional raw water pump installation and yard piping modifications to allow wasting backwash water to the sludge drying lagoons. Additionally, carbon dioxide pretreatment for pH adjustment will be added to the plant process as part of the mid-term improvements. If the process proves valuable for reducing Total Organic Carbon (TOC), that feature could also be added to the mid-term improvements. Page 8 ATTACHMENT B CARTER LAKE PIPELINE SUMMARY OF PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED AND PROJECT IMPACTS PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT Boulder depends on several different raw water sources to meet customer water demands. On average from year to year, about 65 percent of the city's water supply comes from the local Boulder Creek basin and 35 percent comes from Boulder Reservoir sources. As Boulder grows, the percentage of water delivered directly through the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Plant will increase to about 45 percent of the total municipal supply on average. The city owns enough additional water at Boulder Reservoir to meet all of Boulder's future needs. However, the quality of this water source prior to treatment is likely to degrade in the future unless its delivery method is changed from an open canal to a closed pipeline. The main source of supply for Boulder Reservoir is the Colorado/ Big Thompson (CBT) Project. This raw water supply was developed by the Bureau of Reclamation in the 1950s and is presently operated by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD). The CBT Project diverts and stores water from the Colorado River on the west side of the Rocky Mountains. The water is then delivered through a series of tunnels, canals and reservoirs to northern Colorado Front Range communities, including Boulder. The other major source of supply for Boulder Reservoir is the Windy Gap Project which was jointly developed by northern Colorado municipalities to carry newly- developed water supplies through the CBT Project facilities as an alternative to the conversion of agricultural CBT water to municipal ownership and use. The seasonal operation of the Boulder Feeder Canal limits flexibility of the city's operations and may limit the city's drought-year water yield. The ability to access West Slope source water during the winter would maximize use of this source and may be necessary to fully utilize the city's Windy Gap water. The city's use of West Slope water during the winter is currently limited by the amount of storage space available to the city in Boulder Reservoir under the contracts with NCWCD. The ability to store water in Boulder Reservoir during the winter is further limited by the need to maintain winter water levels below the point where high winter winds can damage the rip-rap on the dam and cause erosion. While improvements to the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Facility have been discussed as an alternative to the proposed Carter Lake Pipeline, an expansion of the water treatment facility capacity would not eliminate Boulder Reservoir's storage limitation. Full winter use of the currently planned 16 MGD capacity at the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Facility would require more water than can be stored in the city's Boulder Reservoir accounts during the winter (assuming that there is no Carter Lake Pipeline and that the city has the need to operate in such a manner). If Boulder Reservoir WTF ran at its maximum capacity of 16 MGD for 180 days straight from October 15 to April 15 while pulling off of Boulder Reservoir because the canal was off, it would require 8,842 acre-feet (af) of water (180 days x 16 MGD x 3.07af/MGD). The city's winter storage account in Boulder Reservoir is 5,357 af, the city's long-term storage is 2,143 of and the city's emergency dead pool is 1,000 af. This Page 9 totals 8,500 af, so the city would be short by 352 of even if it were to completely drain the reservoir. Although water released from Carter Lake is of high quality, the water quality at Boulder Reservoir is degraded. This is due to pollutants from point and non-point sources entering the open canal as it carries the water for 20 miles between the two reservoirs. Land use changes near the canal in the future are expected to increase water quality degradation. The open canal was also ranked as one of the most vulnerable components of the city's water system in a federally-required vulnerability assessment. PROJECT IMPACTS Environmental: The preferred pipeline alignment was sited to coincide with existing road, railroad, canal, pipeline and utility corridors and property boundaries so significant, adverse or long-term negative environmental impacts are few. Most environmental effects occur due to temporary disturbance and full restoration to pre-existing conditions will occur. Changes or impacts requiring special mitigation or abatement are: Land Use - Long-term effects will result from the acquisition of a new permanent easement, which prohibits certain types of uses within the easement. Agricultural uses can continue within the easement, but construction of permanent buildings or structures would be prohibited. Planting of trees and shrubs will not be permitted unless approved by NCWCD in advance. Wetland/Riparian Areas - The project will temporarily disturb wetland areas and riparian corridors. Many of the streams and ditches crossed by the pipeline have already been disturbed by previous projects, including the original SWSP that has been subsequently restored. A restoration plan will be developed for new disturbances at each crossing. Jurisdictional waters of the United States (U.S.) and wetlands occur at several locations where the pipeline crosses drainages. Impacts to these jurisdictional waters will require a Section 404 permit under the Clean Water Act. A Pre- Construction Notification for the pipeline impacts has been sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and is expected to be permitted under Nationwide Permit (NWP) 12 for utility lines. NWP 12 permits up to half an acre of permanent impact to waters of the U.S. at each crossing. All impacts to waters of the U.S. will be temporary in nature and no permanent impacts will result. The ground contours will be restored, topsoil will be salvaged and replaced, and the disturbance will be revegetated with native species. Migratory Birds - Raptor nests have been identified near the proposed pipeline alignment. Construction will be scheduled in accordance with CDOW guidelines to avoid disturbing nesting raptors. Pre-construction surveys will be performed for all spring through fall construction activities to identify locally breeding migratory passerines and waterfowl within and immediately adjacent to the Page 10 selected route. Construction will be scheduled to avoid active nests during nesting periods. Wildlife and Fisheries - CDOW data identify specific wildlife habitat, including bald eagle roost and winter concentration areas, potential and occupied Prebles Meadow Jumping Mouse habitat, and snow goose production area. Although these identified areas are seasonally sensitive, temporary disturbance associated with construction can be scheduled during non-sensitive periods. Once the pipeline is constructed and restored, there is not expected to be any long-term effect on wildlife. Two state-threatened fish species - the brassy minnow and common shiner- may occur in streams crossed by the pipeline. Stream crossings will be completed during the low-flow, winter months, and best management practices will be used to minimize effects to fish and habitat. Cultural/Paleontological Resources - Given the potential for undocumented cultural resources to occur, a field survey of the alignment will be performed once the easement is acquired. Adverse effects to significant cultural properties from pipeline construction will be avoided or mitigated. A paleontologist will be present during trench excavation in geologic formations with a potential to contain significant fossils. If significant fossils are found, construction will be rescheduled to allow for resources recovery or the trench will be realigned. If fossils are noticed elsewhere, a paleontologist will be consulted. Boulder Feeder Canal/Boulder Reservoir Water Quantity and Quality - Questions have been raised concerning reduction in water quantity and associated potential degradation in water quality in Boulder Feeder Canal if the pipeline were to be constructed. In terms of water quantity, future canal flows would not include up to 25 cfs of water that the canal would otherwise convey for treatment to meet municipal demand in the city of Boulder. The pipeline would not carry water that the city uses for exchange purposes, irrigation or city-owned Boulder Reservoir storage. Such flows would continue to be conveyed through the feeder canal. Estimates of average Boulder Feeder Canal flows if the pipeline were to be constructed are summarized as follows: Percent of Historical Canal Flow April May - August September October Dry Year 80% 80% 47% 24% -Average Year 35% 85% 57% 9% Wet Year 70% 70% 55% 20% On an annual basis, BFC flows with the Carter Lake Pipeline in operation would be approximately 71.4%, 73.4% and 64.0% of historical canal flows for dry, average and wet years, respectively. The BFC will continue to be shut down in the winter and therefore, there will be no flow during the months of November through March. Page 11 Contamination levels in BFC water could rise due to less dilution as a result of reduced flows, but these future effects will be somewhat counteracted by on- going efforts by NCWCD and the city to isolate existing outfalls to the BFC. The only two water utilities using the BFC for drinking water are Boulder and Left Hand Water District, and both are currently parties to the pipeline project, which if constructed would improve source water quality over current conditions. Dilution in the canal is of greater importance if the water is a direct drinking water supply, but it is not as great a concern if the water is used for irrigation or for reservoir storage. The city would still monitor water quality in the BFC and Boulder Reservoir as needed. However, there wouldn't be an urgent need to track and predict contaminant events in the BFC and reservoir if water destined for treatment is transported via a pipeline. Transportation - During construction of the pipeline, temporary delays or detours may affect traffic patterns on roadways adjacent to or crossed by the alignment. Existing paved roadways will be crossed by bore and jack methods, perpendicular to the roadway, unless overriding circumstances render this method infeasible. Road crossings will be completed during the spring and summer months so that any necessary road repaving can be completed as quickly as possible. Working hours may be altered to avoid peak traffic periods. Following the completion of the pipeline, street repaving will take approximately one day to complete at each location. Open Space - The preferred Carter Lake Pipeline alignment crosses multiple open space properties. The majority of these crossings occur through areas that are under active cultivation. Construction through these areas will be conducted in a manner that minimizes disruptions to agricultural activities, and all disturbed areas will be carefully restored to original condition in terms of soil profile and contours. It assumed that any easement across Boulder County Parks and Open Space or city parks or open space would be subject to terms and conditions provided by these agencies. Social: The Carter Lake Pipeline would protect the quality of the city's Colorado Big- Thompson and Windy Gap water supplies from contamination during transport to the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Plant (WTP). While there are treatment processes capable of removing contaminants from the water, it is better to preclude contamination from entering the water in the first place. The proposed pipeline would eliminate the potential for water contamination during transport, which is considered beneficial to all residents who receive drinking water from the Boulder Reservoir WTP. For Boulder residents who receive drinking water from the Boulder Reservoir WTP, there are noticeable differences in water taste and odor when the source water is switched from the Boulder Feeder Canal to water from Boulder Reservoir. This does not happen to residents that receive water from the Betasso WTP. From an equity standpoint, Boulder residents are paying the same rate for water that at times of the year has Page 12 noticeable, significant differences in quality, although the quality from both WTPs meets state and federal drinking water requirements. Economy: The proposed Carter Lake Pipeline is a collaborative project between five water providers (participants) and the NCWCD to provide a mechanism to convey Windy Gap and C-BT water from Carter Lake to each of the individual participants. The city currently has the opportunity to leverage money for construction of the pipeline with the other project participants. If the city passes the current opportunity by, then decides later to build a pipeline, collaboration with other water providers may not be possible. At present, the savings associated with collaborating with the other stakeholders is estimated to be about 25-30% of the total project cost. Utilization of Existing Infrastructure - NCWCD acquired the majority of the right-of-way needed to construct the pipeline along an alignment parallel to an existing pipeline that serves Broomfield and Superior. If other participants move forward with the project without the city, the availability of the existing NCWCD right-of-way for future pipeline construction will likely be affected. Effect on Operating Expenses - Staff will present information regarding water rate impacts at the time it is decided the project should be considered for construction funding. Impacts to Businesses - In Boulder, there are industries that can benefit from having water quality equal to what the Betasso WTP provides, compared to the Boulder Reservoir WTP. Currently, most all of the industries in Boulder that are affected by the quality of water they receive are located in the eastern portion of Boulder, which is served by the Boulder Reservoir WTP. From discussions with various industries, including IBM, Amgen and Roche Pharmaceuticals, benefits from having water provided by the Carter Lake Pipeline include: ■ Consistent water quality, ■ Reduced level of additional industrial treatment, and, ■ Reduced water use, water discharges to the sanitary sewer system and energy costs. Page 13