Title
Security Water District Regional Water Service Agreement
Presenter:
Earl Wilkinson, Chief Water Services Officer, Colorado Springs Utilities
Brian Whitehead, System Extensions Manager, Colorado Springs Utilities
Aram Benyamin, Chief Executive Officer, Colorado Springs Utilities
Body
Summary:
Security Water District (Security) has approached Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) about negotiating and executing a long-term regional water service agreement, whereby, Colorado Springs Utilities would provide a standby, supplemental water service to Security while Security continues to address contamination in the Widefield Aquifer, which is the primary water resource supplying the district.
Background:
Security is a partner with Springs Utilities in the Fountain Valley Authority (FVA) and Southern Delivery System (SDS) and uses water delivered by the Fountain Valley conduit and SDS in part to meet their customers' water demands. Security has been relying on water withdrawn from wells drilled in the Widefield Aquifer to meet its demands that are not met by water delivered by FVA, SDS and any other water rights in their possession.
In 2016, dangerous levels of perfluoro octane sulfonate (PFO) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFA) were discovered in the Widefield Aquifer. At the time, water quality in the Widefield Aquifer deteriorated to the point that Security could no longer divert and use water withdrawn from the Widefield Aquifer to serve its customers without supplemental water treatment or dilution from other sources to meet governmental drinking water standards.
Knowing that existing water treatment facilities would require significant upgrades and enhanced treatment capabilities to effectively eliminate PFOs and PFAs, and that completion of such improvements would take substantial time to complete, Security approached Springs Utilities about entering into a temporary regional water service agreement to provide supplemental water t...
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