Securing the future of water
By the year 2050, the population of the Northern Front Range will double. Water is a valuable and limited resource that we all need. Fort Collins-Loveland Water District is dedicated to preparing for the future and developing a smart and dependable water portfolio to ensure the water needs of all current and future customers is met.
For additional information about how we’re preparing for the future check out our Rate Study Summary, or view the full Rate Study Report completed in 2018.
Where does our water come from?
FCLWD currently gets its water from the North Poudre Irrigation Company, Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) project, Josh Ames, Divide Canal and Reservoir Company, and Windsor Reservoir Company. While we have enough water for all existing customers in our service area, and for the growth we are currently experiencing, we will need an additional 8,000 acre-feet of water to meet the demand of our growing service area by 2032.
What’s an acre-foot? An acre-foot is equal to 325,851 gallons of water or one football field of water one foot deep.
What does the District do to protect against drought?
We’ve taken a hard look at our water portfolio to ensure we can consistently deliver water to you; no matter what Mother Nature delivers. Take a look at our Drought and Water Supply Summary.
What are we doing to prepare for the future?
To close the anticipated gap, FCLWD is looking to other water source options, including the Northern Integrated Water Supply Project (NISP). NISP is a proposed water storage and distribution project that will supply 15 Northern Front Range water partners with 40,000 acre-feet of new, reliable water supplies. This project includes two reservoirs in Northern Colorado.
FCLWD’s portion of NISP is estimated at $82.5 million (2017 dollars), dedicating 3,000 acre-feet of water to the communities we serve. In addition, FCLWD, with other water providers, is planning for additional water treatment needs, which will include the construction of a regional water treatment plant. FCLWD’s estimated cost for the treatment plant is $32 million (2017 dollars). Because most of this water source is intended to supply growth in the communities we serve, it will be paid primarily with tap fees that developers pay when they build new homes and commercial buildings in our communities—not by current customers of FCLWD.
Benefits of NISP
- By being a part of this collaborative regional water supply project, FCLWD is helping develop a long-range strategy that ensures we can secure our water future.
- Water projects in Colorado are subject to strict environmental laws and regulations. Experts analyzed 16 individual project concepts with 215 potential elements and agreed that NISP is the best solution to supply Northern Colorado with this critical resource.
- WaterSecure – a key element of NISP – provides an alternative to traditional “buy and dry” practices and allows farmers to benefit financially from their valuable water rights while keeping water flowing to their fields.
- FCLWD is proud that through partnership and collaboration, NISP has earned broad community support and endorsements from dozens of public and elected officials, 30 business, economic development and chamber of commerce organizations, nearly two dozen agricultural organizations, nine water conservancy/conservation districts, and several west slope agencies and organizations representing water interests.
- NISP commits approximately $60 million in environmental mitigation and enhancements that contributed to the State of Colorado’s Water Quality Division finding that “no significant degradation is expected as part of the project.”
Read more about our participation in NISP and how you can get involved here.
Visit www.nispwater.org to learn more about the regional water supply project that will help secure the water future in the communities we serve.