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. 

Update from St. Mary's Glacier Water and Sanitation District Regarding Status of Water System

Posted on behalf of St. Mary's Glacier Board of Directors

The Board of Directors will hold a public meeting on Friday, April 25, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. at the Alice School House to discuss the status of the water system.

As of April 21, 2014, the District system has seen much improvement. The water level in the wells are increasing daily at a promising rate. The pressures have reached the normal operating levels. We are currently hyper-chlorinating the system as per State of Colorado Rules and Regulations. If the system continues to stabilize, we will be flushing/scouring the entire system on April 23, 2014, charging up booster stations, and testing. Lab results are usually completed in 24 hours of the lab receiving the test. If the District passes with lab results in compliance, the Operator will give us approval to reactivate the system and notify customers they can use the water. The flushing procedures are attached below.

While the District is flushing/scouring the system, it is important that customers do not use water. It is important that the District have as much water as possible to complete this process. If customers use the water, this may delay the process and delay the date of being able to bring the system up for customers to begin using the water.

Please note you can use the sewer system and use the potable water available in the lower parking lot of the condos to fill your toilet tanks for flushing.

You will be notified when you can use the water. You will see that you may have water service during the flushing process, please do not use any water until you are advised you may do so.

You are encouraged to check back to the website, www.stmarysglacier.comfor updates and additional information as it becomes available. You may also receive an update via recorded message through the District phone: 720-244-7385. These sources will be updated as soon as new information is made available to us. The District will also send out email blasts with this information. If we do not have your email address, please send it to: sarahsmith1275@gmail.com

We are working in cooperation with the State of Colorado, Clear Creek County, The Department of Health, and, Ramey Environmental Compliance, LLC in resolving this situation as quickly as possible and to develop a plan to reduce the potential for future occurrences.

Thank you,

SMGWSD Board of Directors

General Email for Board of Directors = SMGWSD@gmail.com

Gov. Hickenlooper announces a roadway reopening, funds for water systems and a benefit concert

Gov. John Hickenlooper today announced several significant improvements and resources for communities recovering from the historic September floods: the Colorado Department of Transportation will reopen a section of US 34 to residents; the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will offer grants to repair flood-damaged water and waste systems and water quality testing and the Colorado Water Conservation Board will provide low-interest loans for water systems repairs; and a benefit concert on Sunday, Oct. 27 with several of Colorado’s favorite musicians for flood recovery efforts.

“We are leveraging all available resources from the federal government, local businesses and communities to repair and rebuild Colorado after the historic September flooding,” Hickenlooper said. “We want to thank everyone involved in helping impacted communities recover quickly. We have more work to do across the state, but our resolve is strong.”

US 34 Road Recovery

Significant progress has been made on US 34 to reestablish access for residents only between Estes Park and Drake. As of noon Sunday, Oct. 20, US 34 will open from Estes Park to Drake for canyon residents to come and go at any time. Access to Drake is being restricted to residents only.

As of today over 80 percent of roads damaged by the September floods are open and CDOT is on pace to have all damaged roads open by Dec. 1. CDOT has completed inspections of the 411 state owned bridges impacted by the floods and the inspectors determined that 120 bridges are in need of repair and no bridges were destroyed. CDOT continues outreach to residents in other corridors to discuss progress on roadway construction.

Water Systems Recovery

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will facilitate $2 million in grant funding provided by the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority to help communities in FEMA-designated flood counties that sustained damage to drinking water and waste water systems. The Water Quality Control Division at CDPHE will review submitted applications and work with the Authority on the grant awards. The application provides grant criteria and the deadline is Nov. 8.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board will make available $15 million for low-interest loans and $1.65 million in grants to help water providers start repairing flood-damaged systems. The loans carry a 30-year term with 0 percent interest the first three years. Click here for more information.

Colorado Rising Benefit Concert

A benefit concert, Colorado Rising, has been organized by some of Colorado's best-known musicians to raise money for flood relief efforts. The Sunday, Oct. 27 concert will be at 1stBank Center in Broomfield. Musicians scheduled to perform include Dave Matthews, The Fray, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, DeVotchKa, Nathaniel Rateliff and members of The Lumineers.

All proceeds from the concert will go directly to LiveUnitedColorado.org, which was formed by United Way chapters across Colorado to help people affected by last month's deadly and devastating floods. Rival concert promoters AEG Live Rocky Mountains and Live Nation announced the concert, which is being presented by radio station KBCO and TV station KCNC.

Colorado Water Conservation Board Launches Website for Watering Restrictions

The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) has launched a new website where residents across Colorado can quickly link to information about watering restrictions affecting their local community. The new website, www.COH2O.co, provides search features that allow visitors to quickly link to their water utility and learn of any local water restrictions that may be in place because of below-average precipitation and reservoir storage in many areas of Colorado.

To learn more about drought, including local and state planning, water conservation, current statewide conditions, water supply projects, newsletters, and to access the drought planning toolbox, visit the CWCB Drought home page.

For additional information, contact Taryn Finnessy, in the CWCB Water Supply Planning Section, at (303) 866-3441 x3231, or at taryn.finnessy@state.co.us.
You can also follow CWCB's drought response on Twitter by following @CO_H2O or www.twitter.com/CO_H2O

Denver Water Raising Awareness about Lead Plumbing

Utility providing information to area homes and businesses

Denver Water wants to remind customers that if you live in an older home, you may have lead in your plumbing, which could affect the water coming out of your tap.

Every year, Denver Water collects more than 10,000 water samples, runs more than 50,000 water quality tests throughout its system, and mails a water quality report to customers to describe the overall quality of water from collection and storage to customers’ taps. Lead is not found in Denver’s source water (rivers and reservoirs), treated water or public water system.

In addition to testing throughout its public system, for the past 20 years Denver Water has conducted a testing program inside homes with lead plumbing. In the utility’s most recent testing, water samples from 60 homes were analyzed. Eight of those samples showed lead levels that were higher than the federal standard. All eight homes were built before 1920.

“The health and safety of all our customers is very important to us,” said Tom Roode, director of Operations & Maintenance for Denver Water. “We thoroughly test our water before and after treatment and as it flows through our pipes in the street, so we know lead is not present in the public water system. But, lead was used for years in paint, plumbing and other household products, and still exists in older homes and buildings. In our experience, the structures most likely to have lead plumbing issues were built in the mid-1950s or earlier.”

Customers who are concerned about their home plumbing should consider taking the following steps:

• Run your water to flush out lead. If it hasn’t been used for several hours, run the cold water tap until the temperature is noticeably colder. This flushes lead-containing water from the pipes.

• Always use cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.

• Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.

• Consider investing in a water filtration system. Filters must meet NSF Standard 53, and they range from pitchers that cost as little as $20 to under-sink systems for $100 or more. More information can be found at www.nsf.org or by calling 1-800-NSF-8010.

• Have your household water tested by a state-certified laboratory. You can find a list of reputable, certified labs at www.coloradostatelab.us.

• Identify and replace plumbing fixtures containing lead. Brass faucets, fittings and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free,” may leach lead into drinking water. Use only lead-certified contractors for plumbing work.

• Have a licensed electrician check your wiring. If grounding wires from your electrical system are attached to your pipes, corrosion may be greater. Check with a licensed electrician or your local electric code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere.

“Because there were eight homes with elevated levels of lead among our sample group, we are required by Federal regulations to let all customers know about the issue,” said Roode. “In addition to notifications about lead plumbing that we send to customers each year in our water quality report, we want to use this opportunity to raise awareness in the community and provide our customers with information to take appropriate steps.”

Denver Water customers will receive a brochure in the mail, which contains the required notice as well as educational information, by the end of November. The brochure and additional information are available on Denver Water’s website, www.denverwater.org/lead.

Additional information on lead can be found at www.epa.gov/lead, www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead and in the attached fact sheet.

Denver Water proudly serves high-quality water and promotes its efficient use to 1.3 million people in the city of Denver and many surrounding suburbs. Established in 1918, the utility is a public agency funded by water rates, new tap fees and the sale of hydropower, not taxes. It is Colorado's oldest and largest water utility. For more information, visit www.denverwater.org and follow us on Twitter.

Colorado Flood Decision Support System

Developed for the Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), the Colorado Flood Decision Support System provides a one-stop shop for floodplain and emergency managers for snowpack, streamflow, flood maps, and other related data to allow them to estimate risk and near future conditions up to and above a NWS flood warning and alert. 

The Flood DSS is a web based GIS mapping application that displays a variety of flood-related data, including: historic flooding, critical facilities, community flood insurance information, wildfire risk, and FEMA flood hazard layers. In addition to the regulatory and hazard information, a real-time data component was included, which is useful for assessing current and near-future conditions. The real time data consists of precipitation radar, streamflow conditions, air temperature, gauge measured precipitation, NWS and NOAA radar estimated precipitation products, flood warnings, U.S.D.A.’s  Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) SNOTEL data (SNOwpack TELemetry), and the Snow Data Assimilation System (SNODAS) modeled spatial snowpack data. CWCB and HDR’s seasonal Flood Threat Bulletin products are also available in spatial and text format from May to September. Features within the application allow users to find locations by address, provide distance measuring tools, and the ability to identify features for more information.

To get started, check out the interactive DSS Flood Decision Support System Viewer

Future phases may include incorporating more data layers and possibly even a mobile application for smart phones. Customer feedback and suggestions are welcomed for future phases of the CWCB FloodDSS and can be sent to chris.sturm@state.co.us  or carolyn.fritz@state.co.us.

Town of San Luis Water Incident Update

The San Luis Valley Regional EOC remains open and activated supporting the Town of San Luis on day eight of the incident.  This morning demolization was initiated.  For additional information read the press release from Linda Smith, Incident PIO or visit their website at www.costillacounty-co.gov.

San Luis Valley Regional  EOC PIO CONTACT: Linda Smith

PHONE: (719) 937-3143

Costilla County Public Health Agency Vivian Gallegos, Director

Water Advisory Ends for Town of San Luis
San Luis – The boil water advisory has been lifted and customers of the San Luis Water and Sanitation District can now use tap water for all purposes. After routine water tests revealed bacterial contamination in the water last week, local officials have consulted with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Water Quality Control Division to correct the problem.  The water supply has now been determined to be safe for consumption and all restrictions have been removed for water use.It is recommended that residents who have appliances that dispense ice or water replace filters prior to beginning to use them.  

The San Luis Water and Sanitation District has decided to voluntarily give up the waiver that has allowed the water to not be chlorinated in the past.  Water is currently being chlorinated and it will continue to be chlorinated in the future.

Many people and businesses have volunteered time, water, and hand sanitizer since the boil water advisory was issued on February 22.

Current information is available at www.costillacounty-co.gov or by calling (719) 672-3457.

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Update for Town of San Luis Valley Incident

San Luis Valley Water Incident Day 6

The San Luis Valley Regional Emergency Operations Center remains open and activated supporting Town of San Luis ICP and POD.  DEM Field Manager Patricia Gavelda continues to provide support to the local operations in support of their mission.  

Contact PIO Linda Smith at 719-587-5330 for incident information.  

Basic information regarding the incident for citizens in the area is being posted at sanluisvalleyhealth.org and at Costilla County's website: 

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CNTY-Costilla/CBON/1251616606791. 

Below are photos that were shared by PIO Smith from this weekend that were taken at the San Luis Fire Station where volunteers assisted with dispensing water and hand sanitizer.  

The top photo is Pam Jones, a member of the Red Cross Disaster Action Team.

The bottom photo includes Red Cross volunteer Phil Tomlinson, Red Cross Disaster Coordinator Bill Werner and Alfred Mondragon of the San Luis Fire Department.

Town of San Luis Water Incident Update

Day #3 Town of San Luis Water Incident

The San Luis Valley (SLV) Regional EOC remains open and active supporting Incident Command Post in Costilla County.  POD open daily from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. providing resources (water and hand sanitizer) to residents.  Approximatley 17.5 pallets of bottled water on scene including two 1500 gallon portable water containers and one water filtration system.  This all hands effort will continue for the weekend. 

SLV Regional EOC, Costilla County and Town of San Luis appreciates the continued support demonstrated by all our local, state and other ESF 8 partners.

DEM Field Manager Patricia Gavelda is supporting local efforts.

The phone number for the Joint Information Center/PIO is 719-587-5352.

Alamosa Emergency Operations Center Activated Due to Water Issue

The Regional Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Alamosa has been activated after a boil water order was issued for the Town of San Luis.  San Luis is located within Costilla County in the San Luis Valley region.  The Town of San Luis has approximately 900 people.

The EOC is working with incident command in San Luis to coordinate resources and message delivery.   A Division of Emergency Management Field Manager is working with the county. There has not been a request for state resource assistance at this time.

Colorado High Water Status/Info

Photo Courtesy Chuck Vale, DEM Field Mgr (NW Region)

Colorado’s northern and central mountains have experienced an unusually deep snowpack over the 2010-2011 winter season. Consequently, the speed at which the snow melts, compounded by additional water from spring rains and a new round of mountain snowfall has the potential to create high water conditions throughout the northern and central mountain and Front Range regions.

To ensure effective preparedness for potential flood issues, the State of Colorado’s Colorado Water Conservation Board chairs a Governor’s Flood Task Force and Water Availability Task Force, in partnership with a variety of local, state, federal, nonprofit and private sector entities, to track, coordinate and facilitate response to evolving high water issues across Colorado. During meetings of both task forces, several areas of interest where significantly higher than average snowpacks, which hold the potential to produce high water issues, are being monitored closely, including:

Yampa/White Basin
Steamboat (Routt County) and downstream
Colorado Basin
Frasier (Grand County)
Colorado main stem (Grand County to Mesa County)
Blue (Summit County)
Gunnison Basin
Coal Creek, East River (Crested Butte/Gunnison County)
South Platte Basin
Poudre (Larimer, Weld including Fort Collins and Greeley)

Photo Courtesy Chuck Vale, DEM Field Mgr (NW Region)

Note: All presentations are posted on CWCB Flood Task Force website at http://cwcb.state.co.us/public-information/flood-water-availability-task-forces/Pages/main.aspx

Based on the assessment of the task forces, it is imperative that residents, recreators and business owners, need to be aware and prepared to potential flood conditions. There are a number of resources available to help citizens stay informed of developing high water conditions in Colorado.

Colorado Flood Information Sources

• Local Emergency Management Offices and Alert Systems - http://www.coemergency.com/p/sources.html
• Colorado Water Conservation Board Flood Page - http://cwcb.state.co.us/water-management/flood/Pages/main.aspx
• Colorado Water Conservation Board Flood Threat Bulletin (issued daily) - http://www.hdrweather.com/operational/cwcb/cwcbinformation.htm
• National Weather Service Colorado Alerts and Warnings
• Boulder NWS Office  -http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=bou
• Grand Junction NWS Office - http://140.90.113.194/ahps2/index.php?wfo=gjt
• Pueblo NWS Office - http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=pub

Flood Safety Tips

• High Water Conditions
• Know the water conditions in your neighborhood or your destination
• Stay alert for changing weather conditions
• Get out of areas subject to flooding like low spots, canyons, and areas downstream from dams
• Do not attempt to cross water that is above your knees
• Do not drive over flooded roads or bridges
• Abandon a stalled vehicle and immediately move to higher ground

Flash Floods

• Flash floods can move at incredible speeds.
• If a flash flood warning is issued, or you realize a flash flood is coming, act quickly to save lives. You may have only seconds!
• Move to high ground - do not attempt to outrun the flood.
• Even 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock you off your feet, and a depth of two feet will float your car!
• NEVER try to walk, swim, or drive through such swift water. If you come upon flood waters, STOP! TURN AROUND AND GO ANOTHER WAY.

General Emergency Preparedness/Safety - READYColorado

• Pack a 72-hour Emergency Kit for your car, home and business - http://readycolorado.com/packakit.php
• Develop a Communications Plan - http://www.readycolorado.com/pdf/familycommunications.pdf
• Make an Emergency Plan for responding to disasters for you, your family, pets, neighborhood, business, finances and school - http://readycolorado.com/plan.php

Photo Courtesy Chuck Vale, DEM Field Mgr (NW Region)

Flood Insurance Information
While flood insurance is available to renter’s, homeowners and businesses, it is not a standard part of insurance policies. It is, therefore, recommended that homeowners, business and renters consult with their insurance agency to understand whether their existing policy covers flood and, if not, to consider adding flood coverage to their policy if they live in areas potentially subject to flooding. Unfortunately, many people affected by floods do not find out their policy does not cover or was insufficient to cover losses incurred as a result of flooding often until it is too late to take action. It should be noted that 20-25% of all flood insurance claims come from outside the mapped 100-year floodplain. Those residents and business owners considering flood insurance should act sooner rather than later because most policies require a 30-day waiting period after application and premium payments are made before policies become effective. For further information regarding flood insurance, reference the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association (http://www.rmiia.com) or contact your local insurance provider directly.

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Local High Water/Flood Guides
In addition to the general preparedness information for emergency kits, plans and resources available via READYColorado (http://readycolorado.com), through READY.gov (http://ready.gov) and through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Flood Page (http://www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/index.shtm) several counties in the areas identified for potential flood issues during the Flood Task Force meeting have developed flood-specific assistance guides for local residents/businesses. Links to the specific, local high water/flood guides are listed below. Of course, each of the counties maintain emergency managemetn websites and links to Colorado emergency management office websites, phone numbers, emails, and local alert system, including SMS/TXT alert, registration pages can be found online at http://www.coemergency.com/p/sources.html

Boulder County - http://boulderoem.com/files/Boulder_Co_Emer_Prep_Guide.pdf
Eagle County - http://www.eaglecounty.us/Emergency/Emergency_Preparedness/Flooding
Grand County - http://co.grand.co.us/GCHome/downlads/High_Water_Brochure.pdf
Routt County - http://www.co.routt.co.us/commissioners/Emergency/High%20Water%20Preparedness%20Guide%20-%20Routt%20County%20-%20April%202011%20-%20Rev%2004-01-2011.pdf
Summit County - http://co.summit.co.us/Emergencymanagement/documents/2011%20SC%20High%20Water%20Packet.pdf

CO Flood Decision Support System

Developed for the Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Colorado Flood Decision Support System is a one-stop, great resource for flood information in Colorado.  Combining floodplain boundaries, real-time weather and streamflow conditions, local and county data (including historical information) related to flooding and snow conditions, it is remarkable and timely tool to help the public and decision-makers understand and distill the mass of water, weather and flood potential conditions across Colorado.

To get started, check out the interactive DSS Flood Decision Support System Viewer

For additional flood preparedness, alert and monitoring information, check out the Colorado High Water Status/Info page on COEmergency.

You can also tap into information, grouped by drainage basin, on the Colorado's Decision Support Systems (CDSS) Page, including from the Arkansas, Colorado, Dolores/San Juan, Gunnison, Rio Grande, South Platte and Yampa/White River Basins.

National Weather Service - Colorado Flood Monitoring/Prediction Service

In addition to the other Colorado flood information sources available, the National Weather Service maintains three Colorado-based pages that monitor current and projected water levels across the state.  Called the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS), on the page(s), you can find detailed information from river gauges and forecasts for the next 48 hours.

There are three AHPS pages covering river basins across Colorado:

• NWS Grand Junction -  http://j.mp/ks13qp 
• NWS Boulder/Denver http://j.mp/jJxHD2 
• NWS Pueblo - http://j.mp/jEGwiI 

In addition to these flood stage monitoring resources, it is important to also stay in touch with local emergency alerts, which will provide warnings and safety information in affected areas should it be necessary.  Local emergency information sources, including emergency management telephone numbers, websites, emails and txt/email alert registration links can be found online at http://www.coemergency.com/p/sources.html.