You are receiving this newsletter because you are a recognized Douglas County community leader and stakeholder.
As County leaders, we must protect our region. Our quality of life is directly connected to our commitment to build a tomorrow that preserves the best of today. This vision includes protecting our natural resources, utilizing our county’s resources in a fiscally-smart manner, and wisely planning for our future. Thank you for standing with us.
Time to add Oxygen to H2O in Douglas County
Public Private Partnerships (P3) are a proven tool to expedite the completion of essential public works projects, ease the burden on taxpayers and inject a private-sector, business mindset into the overall project. P3s also speak to ideals of utilizing the private sector for the greater good of the public. Success of P3s in Colorado offers a roadmap for how to structure – and complete – water projects for Douglas County.
One of the best examples of P3s in the metro area was the transportation package developed by Gov. Bill Owens. Coupling fiscally conservative financing with an expanded use of P3s and harnessing private sector ingenuity, helped cut construction completion time by well over half.
As commentators said at the time, the innovative, private-sector mindset proved that when it comes to public works, Colorado avoided the trap of being able to complete projects faster than the state could pay for them.
Fast forward to 2022 and water. Like transportation projects, water projects are highly complex, costly, loaded with regulatory red tape to navigate – and urgently needed. Just as overburdened, aging roads hurt quality of life and economic vitality, the growing strain on water resources must be addressed.
And the status-quo, “all-government” approach is not practical, and will delay additional water resources coming online for years, if not decades. Plus, placing a significant burden of accountability on private sector entities helps shield risk to taxpayers.
There is a strong history of private-sector involvement in water solutions. In fact, Denver Water began as a private-sector entity that evolved over time to the public entity it is today. Charter schools are another example of ways to break through the logjams of bureaucratic government-only approaches to challenging problems.
As Douglas County addresses the priority of finding new, renewable water for our existing, and future, residents, and businesses, why not look to innovative, fiscally conservative public private partnership opportunities?
Recent Headlines
The Loop renewable water project in El Paso County gets a $4 million injection of federal ARPA funds
A handful of water utilities in El Paso County are behind The Loop project, which could eventually help address future growth by serving more than half of the region’s population outside of Colorado Springs. Local water officials say a $4 million grant from El Paso County–funded by the American Rescue Plan Act–will be used for engineering and financial planning starting this winter, and also to begin acquiring the necessary easements for the infrastructure at a later date.
… Much of the water for the communities that would be served by the proposed Loop system comes from wells drilled into a geological formation called the Denver Basin. This water is considered non-renewable and is affected by the demands of a growing population in the region. The Loop proposal would allow Denver Basin water flowing in Monument and Fountain Creeks to be treated, recycled and reused. A preliminary study was completed earlier this year to evaluate the feasibility of the project.
Colorado’s fall is going to be warm and dry, climatologists say
As of Thursday, 84% of Colorado is experiencing dry conditions and over 45% of the state is in some form of drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map. Northeastern Colorado is especially dry, with most counties experiencing severe to exceptional levels of drought.
…The southwestern U.S. is grappling with its driest 22-year period on record in the past 1,200 years, conditions that are unlikely to improve. Most of Colorado has experienced below-normal precipitation over the past three to five years, Heim said. Western Colorado has been in an extended drought period for at least the past five years.
...“Pray for heavy mountain snowpack this winter,” Heim said.
(Richard Heim is the National Centers for Environmental Information Meteorologist)
Did You Know? The Parker Water and Sanitation District-through its "Platte Valley Water Partnership" proposal currently in front of Douglas County Commissioners-is asking for $150 million for a desalination/phosphorus removal facility which would be located in Morgan or Logan county.
Upcoming News from DCFF
Every other week, DCFF will report on important news and challenges impacting our community. We hope you will stay engaged and connected with us.
