Gov. Hickenlooper Announces Additional $12 Million for Wastewater and Drinking Water Systems with Flood Recovery Projects

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Office of Gov. John Hickenlooper

Kathy Green, 303-550-9276 c.  kathy.green@state.co.us

Meghan Trubee,  303-692-6351 c. meghan.trubee@state.co.us

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Gov. Hickenlooper announces additional $12 million for wastewater and drinking water systems with flood recovery projects

DENVER — Friday, Aug. 1, 2014 — Representing his continued commitment to restoring Colorado’s world-class water systems, Gov. John Hickenlooper today announced a second round of grant funding aimed at rebuilding, improving and protecting Colorado’s water quality and treatment infrastructure.

Sixteen community drinking water and wastewater systems impacted by the September 2013 flooding will receive $12 million to fund planning, design, construction, improvement, renovation or reconstruction of systems that were damaged or destroyed as a result of the floods. Part of the funding will go to four counties (Boulder, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld) to help them repair or replace private, non-community septic systems. 

“When the flooding receded, we said we would rebuild a better, more resilient Colorado. This funding will help address not just short-term needs but also help communities design and rebuild with the long-term in mind,” said Gov. Hickenlooper. “It’s another boost to spur repairs and improvements in areas that need it most.”

In Jamestown, this funding will provide critical support in rebuilding service lines to individual residences, allowing displaced families to return to their homes. In the City of Evans, the funding allows for the planning and design of a new facility that will have expanded capacity for residents while decreasing vulnerability from future flood events.

This funding is in addition to the $14.7 million awarded last year to help the state address nutrients in Colorado’s rivers, streams and lakes. High levels of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can use up valuable oxygen and choke aquatic life.

These grants are part of the governor's plan to ensure Coloradans have a reliable infrastructure that ensures safe, clean water for future generations.

See maps of communities/systems included in the nutrient and flood recovery grants.

GRANTS:

Water System	$ Amount
Town of Berthoud	$310,000
Larimer County (on behalf of Big Elk Meadows Water Assoc.)	$780,000
City of Boulder	$1,595,000
Colorado Springs Utilities	$188,000
Estes Valley Recreation and Park District	$360,500
City of Evans	$1,000,000
Evergreen Metro District	$114,487
Town of Jamestown	$1,000,000
Jefferson County School District /Mt. Evans Lab	$835,000
City of Loveland	$264,750
Town of Lyons	$518,216
Town of Milliken	$324,715
Town of Morrison	$165,922
Pine Brook Water District	$320,375
Pinewood Springs Water District	$125,500
Red Rock Valley Water District	$871,614
SUBTOTAL	$8,774,079

Each of these counties will be responsible for establishing its own program to administer funds to residents with private, non-community septic systems that were damaged or destroyed by flooding.

Water System	$ Amount
Boulder County	$1,311,806
Jefferson County	$250,000
Larimer County	$1,322,300
Weld County	$405,000
SUBTOTAL	$3,289,106
TOTAL	$12,063,185

Funding for the grants was provided by HB14-1002. Grants were issued to entities in counties where the governor declared a disaster emergency. 

Flood Related Funding Still Available in CWCB Loan Program

There remains a substantial amount of flood-related funding still available in the Colorado Water Conservation Board  (CWCB) loan program. Water entities in need of financial assistance are encouraged to contact CWCB staff for further information.

Please view the Flood-Related Funding Fact Sheet for specific information on funding sources.

Colorado continues long-term recovery efforts, marks 100 days since September floods

Gov. John Hickenlooper today recognized the ongoing flood recovery and progress to help communities rebuild from the September floods. The devastation impacted 24 counties, more than 28,000 individuals and more than 2,000 square miles. This Friday, Dec. 20., marks 100 days since the flooding started.

“Colorado united to help communities large and small deal with the floods,” Hickenlooper said. “When the water first started rising we witnessed people helping one another to safety. Now, they are helping one another rebuild the homes, roads, schools and businesses that make up their communities. The cooperation among our federal partners, the National Guard, state agencies and local communities has been critical to the success of all the phases of the recovery efforts. We are thankful to be 100 days past this historic disaster, and we remain committed to ongoing efforts toward permanent recovery.”

The governor and his extended family will spend Christmas in Estes Park to help support local businesses in the area impacted by the flooding.

“Estes Park is a Colorado treasure and was deeply affected by the floods,” Hickenlooper said. “We hope everyone this holiday season supports small businesses in our state’s tourist destinations and Colorado communities hit by the disaster.”

Here is an update of completed and ongoing recovery efforts 100 days since the flooding began:

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) opened all 27 flood-impacted state roadways before the Dec. 1 deadline. Most roads are in a temporary condition and require permanent repairs in the future. CDOT crews will continually monitor and assess the condition of the highways, especially prior to, during, and after storms. Additional temporary repairs may be necessary to help maintain the safety of the roads through the spring thaw. Motorists are strongly advised to obey posted speed limits, and to drive with extra care, as the temporary roadways can be narrow, are prone to rockfall, and may feature temporary alignments. CDOT has $450 million allocated in funding with $53 million used to date.

The federal government continues to be a critical partner in on-going flood-recovery efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has obligated $27.2 million in Public Assistance funding to 233 projects from 20 flood-impacted counties. FEMA has approved $58.3 million in funding for Individual Assistance approved for 16,437 individuals in 11 flood-impacted communities. 28, 342 people have applied for individual assistance; and 91 percent of these homes have been inspected. The U.S. Small Business Administration has loaned $89.9 million to date to 1,930 homeowners and 278 businesses. The National Flood Insurance has made payments of $55.7 million to more than 1,863 claims.

The U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced $62.8 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to assist in long-term recovery efforts. We are currently completing our overall state-wide damage assessment across housing, economic development and infrastructure which will then help us better understand where we must allocate these dollars to those areas most in need. A process to distribute the funds will be communicated in early 2014.

Mile High United Way of Denver was approached by the State of Colorado to accept funds raised by United Ways of Colorado and distribute them to local United Way agencies. So far, $7.3 million has been raised and approximately $2.8 million from both the United Ways of Colorado Flood Recovery Fund and other locally-raised funds has been distributed to the counties hit the hardest by the Colorado floods and their United Way agencies. Those agencies include United Way of Larimer County, Foothills United Way (Boulder County), United Way of Weld County and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pueblo. United Way agencies are run independently of each other with a Board of Directors providing oversight. United Way distributes funds to disaster survivors based on national best practices of providing financial support to individuals with the most needs in partnership with what survivors received from FEMA programs and insurance agencies. Immediate needs of families and individuals are being met on an as-needed, ongoing bases through an application process at their local United Way. Families and individuals can meet with a case worker to discuss what support they have already received through FEMA or insurance, and how United Way can assist. At the same time, an overall assessment of community needs is also being addressed by committees comprised of local business, neighborhood groups, individuals and other stakeholders to ensure long-term community needs are also identified.

Less than 60 days ago, there were 479 families receiving Transitional Sheltering Assistance. As of Dec. 15, the final five families have moved into FEMA Manufactured Housing Units or a rental situation.

Long-term ongoing recovery efforts continue in flood-impacted communities. There are 834 personnel from FEMA, CDOT and the Office of Emergency Management working closely together to address the ongoing needs of flood-impacted Coloradans. A total of $822 million has been allocated, with $312 million used to date including. There are 17 long-term recovery committees formed for local planning and rebuilding efforts and specific task forces for issues such as repairing ditches and streams. Also, 100 percent of the 207 flood-impacted dams have been inspected.


About ColoradoUnited

Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Jerre Stead, executive chairman of Englewood-based IHS Inc., to be the state’s Chief Recovery Officer. The Recovery Team is focused on making Colorado more innovative, safer and resilient in its infrastructure, community and environment. Go to www.ColoradoUnited.com for more information.

Gov. Hickenlooper announces all damaged highways will reopen before Thanksgiving

With this week’s opening of U.S. 34 and next week’s planned opening of State Highway 7, all highways damaged by the September flooding will reopen days ahead of the Dec. 1 goal.

“The united effort of the Colorado Department of Transportation and its road repair partners has been remarkable,” Gov. John Hickenlooper said. “After the flooding, we faced the daunting task of restoring 485 miles of damaged or destroyed highways. CDOT, the Colorado State Patrol, the National Guard and local governments have worked round the clock to reconnect Colorado communities.”

SH 7 between Lyons and Allenspark will reopen at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26. This will be the last of the 27 highways damaged or destroyed to reopen.

Even as roadways open, workers from Office of Emergency Management, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies continue to collaborate to address the needs of Coloradans impacted by the flooding. Specifically:

Of the 18,000 people forced to leave their homes due to the flooding, 24 families remain in temporary housing while more permanent solutions can be found.

As of Nov. 18, FEMA had approved $54.4 million in Individual Assistance—helping more than 15,600 Coloradans impacted by the flooding. Individual Assistance provides grants for temporary housing, home repairs and other needs. People eligible for assistance need to submit applications before the Dec. 2 deadline via www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

As of Nov. 18, the FEMA Public Assistance program had committed $16.7 million for flood recovery projects such as debris removal, emergency protective measures and repair of public-owned infrastructure in the 20 counties eligible for Public Assistance. Deadline for applications is Nov. 30.

As of Nov. 18, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) had approved $71.2 million in low-interest disaster loans to 1,491 homeowners and 198 businesses. SBA loans are available for businesses, homeowners, renters and nonprofit organizations that have experienced physical or economic injury due to the flooding. Deadline for applications is Dec. 2.

National Flood Insurance payments of $43.5 million have been provided to more than 1,500 claims.

More than 3,000 flood survivors have received counseling services and another 24,000 have received crisis support information through eight Community Mental Health Centers that received a Crisis Counseling Program Grant to provide group and individual crisis counseling to people impacted by the flood.

Sample Contract Template for Public Assistance Applicants

Download a sample contract to use for Public Assistance applications.

DR4145 Contract Template

The template is also available on our recovery website at www.CORecovers.info on the Public Assistance Applicant Briefing tab.