Water is a hot button subject in Colorado and water supply and access issues are in the news more and more frequently. These are some of the questions we are often asked regarding water issues and our company.
What is United?
United Water and Sanitation District is a “special district” as defined in Title 32 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Park and recreation districts, library districts and school districts fall into the same legal category as United Water. What makes United different from other special districts in Colorado is that we have a statewide service area and we do not levy taxes. The infrastructure projects we develop for local communities are paid by a combination of private financing and fees levied on the properties where the projects are built.
To whom is United accountable?
Like any special district, United is accountable to federal, state and local regulatory authorities as well as to the public customers it serves.
There are several proposals to meet the Front Range’s future water needs by either diverting additional water from Colorado’s Western Slope or by building a pipeline from a reservoir in Wyoming. Does United have a stake in these proposals?
No. The systems designed and implemented by United use renewable water from the Platte River and do not include interstate pipelines or new Western Slope diversions.
What is United’s track record of conveying renewable water to Colorado communities?
United, through its several enterprises and with related districts, has completed transactions with the Denver Board of Water Commissioners, the Town of Lochbuie, South Adams Water & Sanitation district (serving Commerce City), Compark, East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District, Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority, and the Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company to help these entities gain access to renewable water sources.
Our clients include the East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District (ECCV) and the Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority (ACWWA).
ECCV encompasses 8,772 acres in unincorporated Arapahoe County and the City of Centennial. ACWWA covers roughly 5,000 acres in the southern part of Arapahoe County, serving approximately 3,000 residential and commercial accounts.