Monday, June 23, 2008

Highlands Ranch conservation Here's a look at conservation and water budgets in Highlands Ranch, from YourHub.com. From the article: Last year, [Jon Klassen water conservation coordinator for the Centennial Water and Sanitation District] notes, Highlands Ranch was 100 percent supplied by surface water from the recently dedicated South Platte Reservoir, just north of Chatfield Reservoir. Meaning no groundwater was used. "My message is regardless of the water supply status, we need to be doing the best we can to use our water wisely, no matter what the conditions are," he said. He is focused a lot on outdoor irrigation right now, where much of the waste comes from. Among district programs is one called Slow the Flow. Irrigation auditors do free audits for residents and some businesses. Their inspection involves assessing the irrigation system's efficiency, factoring in landscape, soil types, and other factors. Customers then can use the day-of report to fix inefficiencies and develop a proper watering schedule. "The idea with efficient irrigation is to match the ET's (evapotranspiration) rates with the amount of watering you're putting down with your sprinkler system," he said... Klassen, who lives in Highlands Ranch with his wife, Trina, hosts a program at the Highlands Ranch Library called Lunch and Learn - addressing staying within a water budget, managing sprinkler controls, landscape issues and more. The next session is July 3 at noon. The district offers customers a conservation kit with things like a shower timer, rain gauge, toilet leak detection tablets, and literature on reading a water meter, watering tips and more. The district's water budget implemented in 2003 was the first in Colorado, and gives each customer a goal or budget based on indoor and outdoor water usage by lot size, green areas and other factors. Rates increase as usage goes over the budget increments, from $2.30 per thousand gallons to more than $7 for customers who are over 140 percent of their budget. Thanks to Colorado Trout Unlimited for the link. Category: Colorado Water 5:45:34 PM     Market solution to world's water problems? Here's an article from Forbes advocating a laissez faire approach to solving the water crisis in some developing nations. From the article: I'd like to suggest a radical idea. The solution for the poorer parts of the Third World is deregulation of the market for piped water, combined with the enforcement of property rights. Yes, I'm saying that Third World governments should consider letting private companies sell water at any price they want. This includes giving them the right to cut off people who don't--or can't--pay their bills. And no, I don't mean a water concession with a price regulated by the government, I mean true laissez faire in water supply. No price regulation, no rate of return regulation, no government ownership of assets, no political pressure to keep prices low. Water companies should be allowed to maximize their profits, and because supplying water is nearly always a monopoly, they should be allowed to make monopoly profits. I know the idea sounds crazy--to an economist, water supply is a classic "natural" monopoly--but on closer inspection the other alternatives might be worse. We're always happy to find out that a simple market solution can solve huge world problems. The author's contention that a free market in water would lead to better availability than the situation that we have now is a stretch. There wouldn't be enough dough in much of the world. He didn't provide any examples. We do know that in Colorado we have good clean water for most of our citizens. That water is largely provided by government, local, state and national. In general we favor bottom-up grassroots efforts over government mandated markets. Category: Colorado Water 5:43:22 PM     Aspinall Unit update From email from Reclamation (Dan Crabtree): "Blue Mesa Reservoir inflows have started to decline and Reclamation believes it best to close off by-pass releases from Crystal in order to provide opportunity to fill Blue Mesa. Starting tomorrow, June 24th, bypass releases from Crystal will be decreased by 300 cfs in two increments followed by decreases of 200 cfs on June 25, 26, 27. Following this change, the total release from Crystal Dam will be 2,000 cfs, all through the powerplant. Flows downstream from Crystal will be comprised of approximately 750 cfs through the diversion tunnel and 1,250 cfs through the Black Canyon and Gunnison Gorge." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 5:30:40 PM     Climate Change: The earth is a beautifully complex system Colorado Independent: "The Four Corners region has long been tapped for carbon fuels that, when burned, contribute to global warming. But new research in the region eventually may provide a solution to the global warming dilemma, by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and injecting it into coal seams deep below the Earth's surface." Category: 2008 Presidential Election 5:21:54 PM     The Urban Cache la Poudre From The Fort Collins Coloradoan: "Local volunteers have produced 'The Urban Cache la Poudre River,' a guide and map to the river as it courses through town. The colorful brochure, which is available at several locations in Old Town, highlights the river's history, trail systems and recreational opportunities." Category: Colorado Water 6:08:30 AM     Olney Springs, Rye: Boil order From The Denver Post: "Olney Springs residents will have to boil their drinking water a little longer. The town's 250 residents were asked to start boiling their water June 14 due to a malfunction in the mechanical system used to chlorinate the town's well water. The system was repaired Monday, but Mayor Betty Marshall says chlorine levels are still too low. The town is flushing its water system again this weekend and then running the water through the repaired chlorinator again." From The Pueblo Chieftain: "Rye residents continue under a boil-water order as town and state health department officials work toward making the town well a water system source. Sean Scott, drinking water compliance work group leader of the state health department, said health and Rye officials together are quickly working to remedy the potential mountain runoff contamination worries that have plagued the town since at least the 1990s...Scott said town leaders since have determined it would be better to put the town's well to use so to avoid using runoff surface water with its high filtration cost. Before well water can be drank, however, it must pass state treatment guidelines for radionuclides, very low levels of radioactive contaminants commonly found across the state, according to Scott." Category: Colorado Water 6:03:44 AM

© Copyright 2008 John Orr. Last update: 7/1/08; 8:09:03 AM.