To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Mark Marlowe, P.E., Director of Castle Rock Water
Matt Beank, P.E., Water Resources Manager
Title
Update: Water Resources Strategic Master Plan [Entire Service area for the Town of Castle Rock]
Body
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Executive Summary
Planning and preparing for a secure water future is paramount for a public water provider and is a key piece of Castle Rock’s long-term water plan. Castle Rock has made it a goal to update our Water Resources Strategic Master Plan (WRSMP) every five years, and this plan will build upon the work that was done in the 2016 update. The overarching goal will likely remain to achieve a 75% renewable water supply (on average) in any given year by 2050 with a goal of 100% renewable water supply beyond 2050. Over the past 5 years, the Town has averaged a renewable usage rate of 27%, with a peak in 2020 of nearly 43% (due mostly to the fact that Chatfield storage was made available). In 2021, Castle Rock is looking to surpass the previous renewable water usage rates now that our Advanced Treatment processes are on line at the Plum Creek Water Purification Facility (PCWPF). From a financial standpoint, we have successfully kept rates and fees below where predicted rates and fees were modelled to be in 2013 when the most expensive renewable water projects (WISE and Box Elder) were approved by Council.
The current plan identifies seven main plan components:
• Continue to Plan
• Promote Water Conservation
• Develop Storage
• Utilize Local Renewable Water Sources
• Import Additional Renewable Water Resources
• Protect Non-Renewable Groundwater as a Drought Supply
• Ensure Financial Resources to Fund the Plan
The 2021 plan update is likely to continue with these main plan components. Due to the critical nature of this plan, Staff intends to reach out to various Boards and Commissions, the development community and our customers to seek input and endorsement from the community.
Notification and Outreach Efforts
Entities that staff is planning to engage with on the WRSMP include: Castle Rock Water Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, Public Works Commission, Development Services Technical Review Committee and Development Review Team, Economic Development Committee, Developer’s Roundtable, Chamber of Commerce Board and local Rotary. Staff plans to conduct at least two open house events, one at Plum Creek Water Purification Facility and one at the new Administration Building (when complete in Fall 2021) at Castle Rock Water’s campus.
Messaging about the WRSMP will be shared through Town Talk, Outlook and Facebook and links will be available on the Town’s website.
History of Past Town Council, Boards & Commissions, or Other Discussions
Town Council approved the final 2016 Water Resources Strategic Master Plan (WRSMP) on January 17, 2017.
Castle Rock Water Commission was provided an update on the 2021 WRSMP at the May 26, 2021 meeting.
Discussion
In 2006, the need to create a plan to secure long-term water supplies for our Town became a priority and Castle Rock Water developed a comprehensive plan to address it. At that time, the Town acquired all of our water from the deep Denver Basin aquifers which are slowly being depleted. As it takes several lifetimes to replenish this water, Castle Rock Water began looking for renewable water supplies. Renewable water is a supply that is new each year, such as snowmelt and rainfall flowing into a creek. There are a variety of renewable sources, each with various considerations. Within the 2006 Plan, and with the 2010 and 2016 updates, the overarching goal has been to achieve a water supply that consists of 75% renewable water and 25% non-renewable water by 2050. Staff has accomplished many things over the past five years that are helping us get to this goal and some of these major accomplishments are presented here:
Promote Water Conservation
• Continued to offer rebates for turf removal and replacement with low or no water use material (ColoradoScaping).
• Eliminated Kentucky Blue Grass for new residential development.
• Continued rebates for irrigation controller and sprinkler head replacement, and indoor water saving units.
• Continued to provide irrigation system audits for customers upon request.
• Added a five-year limit to the Water Wiser designation for our customers so that they would have the opportunity to re-engage with our Water Conservation Division to refresh their knowledge on the most efficient use of water, particularly outdoor usage.
• Added remote learning options for our Water Wiser customers.
• Encouraged new developments to create Water Efficiency Plans for their planned communities.
• Offered rebates to customers to convert conventional toilets to ultra-high-efficiency toilets which use 0.8 gallons per flush or less.
• Adjusted non-residential water budgets to be based on irrigated area and plant type.
• Began the pilot testing of greywater systems.
Develop Storage
• Acquired the Castle Rock Reservoir No. 1 near Sedalia, CO which is a 240 acre-foot (AF) storage reservoir.
• Purchased additional storage space in Chatfield Reservoir and entered into a lease agreement with the State of Colorado (Colorado Water Conservation Board) to store water in the optioned storage space. Castle Rock began storing its water in Chatfield in May 2020 and to date holds approximately 1,600 AF of water in storage.
• Began design of Castle Rock Reservoir No. 2 near Sedalia, CO which is expected to be a 790 AF off-channel reservoir.
• Began the design of the Plum Creek to Rueter-Hess Pipeline project which will allow Castle Rock to store renewable supplies from the Plum Creek Basin into Rueter-Hess Reservoir for future treatment and delivery through Parker Water and Sanitation District (PWSD).
• Drilled two additional aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) wells and obtained final permits for the first two ASR wells.
Utilize Local Renewable Water Sources
• Implemented a permanent surface water diversion structure (CR-1) along East Plum Creek adjacent to PCWPF with a capacity of over 3 million gallons per day (mgd).
• Acquired the Plum Creek Diversion from United Water and Sanitation District in 2017 and subsequently improved the diversion.
• Constructed the Plum Creek Pump Station and Plum Creek Raw Water Return Pipeline which allows renewable and reusable water to be sent back to Castle Rock for treatment (at PCWPF) and use by our customers.
• Constructed Advanced Treatment Processes at the Plum Creek Water Purification Facility (PCWPF).
• Began Zone 2 and 3 Lawn Irrigation Return Flow (LIRF) study which may eventually account for up to 750 AF of renewable or reusable water per year.
• Became members of the Cherry Creek Water Project Authority (CCPWA) which will provide an additional 250 AF of renewable water (on average) annually.
Import Additional Renewable Water Resources
• Obtained an additional 1,000 AF of subscription in the WISE project.
• Purchased approximately 1,500 acre-feet (AF) of water rights in the Lost Creek Basin in Weld County to support the Box Elder Project and the alluvial well field on our Box Elder property.
• Constructed WISE Local Infrastructure (Canyons Pipeline and Outter Marker Road Pipeline) to be able to physically receive WISE water into Castle Rock.
• Started taking WISE water in April 2018.
• Filed a water court application for the Box Elder Project (2019) that will ensure we can use the 1,500 AF of water rights in Castle Rock.
Protect Non-Renewable Groundwater as a Drought Supply
• Acquired additional Denver Basin groundwater rights at Bell Mountain Ranch, Cherokee Ranch and as part of our participation with the CCPWA.
• Implemented a regular and robust well rehabilitation and maintenance program.
• Drilled eight new Denver Basin wells within Town to supplement our ability to draw upon Denver Basin water to firm our water resources.
Ensure Financial Resources to Fund the Plan
• Conducted annual rates and fees studies to ensure that planned projects have adequate funding to implement.
The plan update will have ongoing capital projects, policies and programs associated with our various plan components. Anticipated initiatives for the next five years for each plan component are discussed below.
Promote Water Conservation
• Continue to offer the current suite of rebates and potentially expand to other in-home devices such as tankless water heaters and residential sprinkler master valves and flow sensors.
• Seek out opportunities to expand existing high water use plant material removal and replacement with ColoradoScape projects or artificial turf projects.
• Consider an amendment to the local plumbing code to require ultra-high-efficiency toilets for all new installations.
• Implement advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).
Develop Storage
• Finalize construction of Castle Rock Reservoir No. 2 and begin utilizing this asset.
• Purchase 258 AF of additional storage space in the Chatfield Reallocation Storage Project.
• Finalize construction of the Plum Creek to Rueter-Hess Pipeline project and begin sending renewable supplies into Rueter-Hess Reservoir (RHR).
• Begin storing water downhole in the four ASR wells.
Utilize Local Renewable Water Sources
• Begin conceptual design work on an expansion of PCWPF from 6 mgd to 12 mgd.
• Finalize Zone 2 and 3 Lawn Irrigation Return Flow (LIRF) study.
• Fully implement delivery of Cherry Creek Water Project Authority (CCPWA) renewable water to Town.
• Begin design of a pump station out of Chatfield Reservoir and a pipeline to deliver the water to Castle Rock Reservoirs Nos.1 and 2.
Import Additional Renewable Water Resources
• Fully utilize our 2,000 AF WISE subscription.
• Identify a minimum of 230 AF of additional renewable water for purchase to support the Box Elder Project and the alluvial well field on our Box Elder property.
• Finalize the construction of the Parker Midsection Pipeline Project to provide adequate pipeline and pumping capacity for our WISE and future Box Elder flows.
• Obtain a final Water Court decree for the Box Elder Project.
Protect Non-Renewable Groundwater as a Drought Supply
• Continue a regular and robust well rehabilitation and maintenance program.
• Identify existing Denver Basin and alluvial wells that require full replacement and when that should occur.
Ensure Financial Resources to Fund the Plan
• Continue to conduct the annual rates and fees study for to ensure financial viability.
Budget Impact
The updated plan will have a major impact on budget as the plan will identify key capital improvement projects, policies and programs to reach our renewable water goals. Currently, the five-year (2022 to 2026) budget includes $89.2 million for long term renewable water projects.
Staff Recommendation
Castle Rock Water staff recommends we continue to prepare the plan update and engage the community in the process.