Fort Collins Utilities to Begin Using Blend of Horsetooth Reservoir and Poudre River Water
Posted on: Aug-31-2012
In September, Fort Collins Utilities’ water treatment operations will begin blending a small amount of water from the main stem of the Cache la Poudre River with water from the current supply, Horsetooth Reservoir.Fort Collins Utilities’ state-of-the-art water treatment process removes contaminants from raw water coming into Fort Collins' water sources. As always, the blended water will receive full treatment, including sedimentation, coagulation, filtration and disinfection. This level of treatment will assure full compliance with all safe drinking water rules and regulations.
In addition, activated carbon will be added to the blend to remove potential taste and odor compounds that may result from fire damage in the Poudre watershed. Utilities will continue to monitor the effects of the fire-related runoff and take steps to protect the watersheds and mitigate the damage from the fire.
In the Poudre watershed, automated monitoring systems for checking key water quality conditions, as well as equipment indicating storm events, are fully operational. If storms or other events affect raw water quality, the Poudre supply will be shut down and not be re-started until key parameters return to within normal limits.
In late August, Fort Collins City Council approved an emergency appropriation to allow funding for watershed mitigation.
As a result, helicopters began dropping certified weed-free straw, wood mulch and seed on the Hill Gulch area of the watershed on August 27. Experts have identified this area as the highest priority for mulching, which will continue for several weeks.
Municipal utilities in Fort Collins and Greeley are collaborating on managing the cost of mitigation for non-federal lands in the Poudre watershed, and are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NCRS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other groups to acquire federal assistance.
The NRCS Emergency Water Protection program works in partnership with local sponsors and provides cost-share assistance designed to assist landowners to relieve imminent threats to life and property caused by natural disasters, including wildfires.
“Fort Collins Utilities remains committed to assuring the complete safety and quality of the community’s drinking water,†said Kevin Gertig, water resources and treatment operations manager.
For more information, visit https://www.fcgov.com/water-quality.
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Keith Elmund, Environmental Services Manager
- 970.416.2764
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