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WATER
AND WASTEWATER (WW)
VISION
STATEMENT
Groundwater
and surface water will continue to be a scarce and precious
resource throughout the Tri-Lakes area. However, through
a combination of careful and conservative planning, coordination
among system providers, and conservation measures, supplies
will be adequate to support both existing and planned future
land uses. The area's high water quality will be maintained
through application of high standards of wastewater treatment
and storm water management.
GUIDING
PRINCIPLES
·
To ensure quality, quantity, and dependability of water
resources including lakes, streams, and groundwater. ·
To encourage the wise use of groundwater by preventing over-allocation
and use. · To encourage water conservation. ·
To manage wastewater treatment to assure high standards
of health, encourage re-use, minimize the adverse impact
of facilities and control costs to the consumer.
Photo:
Pond near Monument Rock Courtesy: Andy de Naray
BACKGROUND
Tri-Lakes takes its name from three of the area's water
features, Palmer Lake, Monument Lake and Lake Woodmoor.
While Tri-Lakes derives its character from these lakes,
its drinking water is supplied primarily from groundwater
aquifers. The population of Tri-Lakes has more than tripled
since 1983 but the amount of groundwater available for consumption
has remained virtually the same. Natural recharge rates
(infiltration) into aquifers in the planning area are estimated
to be 1.5 inches per year. While this rate is well above
average for the County, it is negligible compared to the
amount of water in storage. The Denver Basin aquifers are
considered to be a non-renewable resource and are impacted
by major prolonged withdrawals. For this reason, future
water allocation and use must be carefully considered.
In
1997, the El Paso County Water Authority was formed to further
study the quality, quantity, and dependability of groundwater
and to look for other sources of water to meet the future
demand for water in the County.
Physical,
economic, environmental, regulatory, and policy factors
associated with water and wastewater services and facilities
often have a critical influence on the location, type, and
density of land use.
Overview:
Denver Basin groundwater aquifers Information provided by
the State Water Engineer
Figure
WW.1
Generalized Geologic Overview and Sections of the
Denver Basin Aquifers - State Water Engineer Source: Colorado
Division of Water Resources, Office of the State Engineer
Water:
The Resource
Large quantities of groundwater are stored in the four
primary aquifers of the Denver Basin underlying much of
northeastern to north-central El Paso County. Much of the
water contained in the upper layers and outer boundaries
of this formation is considered to be tributary to surface
water sources. The amount of available water varies from
location to location because of previous use, present rates
of pumping activity, aquifer recharge, and the permeability
of the subsurface. Generally, this water is not available
except when it is pumped from small exempt wells or when
replaced through an augmentation plan. During the process
of updating this Plan, one of the Citizens Advisory Committee
members, Charles J. Robinove, a noted ground-water hydrologist,
prepared an independent report entitled Ground Water
Levels In The Tri-Lakes Area. El Paso County, Colorado 1972-1997**
, which studied changes in ground-water levels over time.
Water:
Supply
The Tri-Lakes Area relies primarily upon groundwater
aquifers*** for its water supply. Water service is provided
to approximately 20,000 residents through the municipalities
of Monument and Palmer Lake, a number of special water districts,
or individual wells. Larger suppliers pump water from the
Denver and Arapahoe Aquifers, providing water to higher
density development such as Woodmoor and Gleneagle. Rural
residential subdivisions with individual lot sizes greater
than 2.5 acres generally have individual exempt wells drilled
into the upper Dawson Aquifer.
Ground
water is readily available for most of the Planning Area.
Some wells however, have proven undependable given specific
underlying substrata particularly in the areas of granite
or tilted bedrock abutting the Front Range. Nearly all surface
water flowing in area stream channels is owned by downstream
water users. Only the City of Colorado Springs owns large
amounts of local surface water. Some of the water districts
and the Town of Palmer Lake, have small surface water allocations.
This is not likely to change. While there are only limited
rights to surface water it is recognized that in the long
term the future water supply for the Front Range communities
will have to be from renewable sources.
Figure
WW.2
Generalized Geologic Block Diagram of the Denver
Basin in the Tri-Lakes Planning Area Note: The top of
the Pierre Shale is the lower limit of the economic water-bearing
zone. Source: El Paso County Planning Division
Water:
Regulations and Rights
The State of Colorado, under C.R.S. 37-92-101, et. Seq.,
regulates the use and allocation of water. The Colorado
Department of Natural Resources through its Division of
Water Resources, is the agency responsible for administering
well permits. The State Engineer's Office (SEO) uses a mass
balance approach for estimating the amount of available
water under a specific area utilizing the best available
geologic data from existing wells. This amount of water
(quantified in as "acre-feet") is then divided
by a factor of 100 which is then included in the water decree/well
permit as the number of acre-feet that the owner can pump
per year for 100 years.
Under
Senate Bill 35, which was passed in 1972, the State uses
its one hundred-year rule and other criteria to review proposed
subdivisions for adequacy of water supply. Under C.R.S.
30-28-136, (h) (I) et. Seq., the state engineer is responsible
for providing an opinion regarding the "material injury
likely to occur to decreed water rights by virtue of diversion
of water necessary or proposed to be used to supply the
proposed subdivision and adequacy of proposed water supply
to meet requirements of the proposed subdivision. If the
state engineer finds such injury or finds inadequacy, he
shall express such findings in an opinion in writing to
the board of county commissioners, stating the reason for
his finding, including, but not limited to , the amount
of additional or exchange water that may be required to
prevent such injury. In the event the subdivision is approved
notwithstanding the state engineer's opinion, the subdivider
shall furnish to all potential purchasers a copy of the
state engineer's opinion prior to the sale or a synopsis
of the opinion; except that the subdivider need not supply
the potential purchaser with a copy of such opinion or synopsis
if, in the opinion of the board of county commissioners,
the subdivider has corrected the injury or inadequacy set
forth in the state engineer's finding".
As
stated in the aforementioned statute, it is the County that
has the ultimate responsibility for determining whether
a subdivision's water supply is adequate.
Figure
WW.3
Generalized Geologic Section through Northern El
Paso County Note: The top of the Pierre Shale is the upper
limit of the economic water-bearing zone. Source: El Paso
County Planning Division
The
Denver Basin, containing the water bearing aquifers listed
in the aforementioned Figure WW.3 is the primary water supply
for most individuals and community systems in northern El
Paso County. Individual property owners typically obtain
an exempt well permit from the SEO to drill into the bedrock
aquifers, the alluvium, or the fractured-granitic aquifer,
depending on location. Exempt wells are authorized to pump
up to 15 gallons per minute, which is usually sufficient
for a domestic water supply to a single home. The characterization
as exempt recognizes that the property owner is exempt from
obtaining a decreed water right from a Colorado court. Over
time, the state has adopted progressively more stringent
regulations and procedures for the administration of groundwater.
The net result is that for new subdivisions, an exempt well
permit is usually not available for near-surface groundwater.
To obtain an exempt well permit for new subdivisions, a
developer ordinarily has to file an augmentation plan to
demonstrate that the consumptively used water will be replaced
in a manner that does not damage senior surface water rights.
While
Colorado law allocates a removal of up to one percent (1%)
of the total volume of water available in any one year (i.e.
a "100-year supply"), El Paso County has been
using a 300-year standard for extraction in its subdivision
review process in an effort to conserve what is considered
to be a non-renewable resource.
300
Year Water Regulation
In November of 1986, the El Paso County Board of County
Commissioners adopted a comprehensive set of regulations
governing subdivision water supply. Included was a water
regulation tying land use approvals to demonstration of
an adequate 300-year water supply. This regulation is more
stringent than the State of Colorado's 100-year rule in
that it is more conservative and helps to assure longer
lasting water supply. The policy regulation does not affect
the right to withdraw water at a one percent annual rate,
but it does potentially impact subdivision approvals. Basically
the 300 Year Water Regulation requires that any new subdivision
shall demonstrate that its water availability is sufficient
to meet its needs for 300 years and that the distribution
should shall be capable of meeting the average annual and
peak daily demand of the proposed subdivision. The County
established the 300 Year Regulation to protect the groundwater
supply. However, Home Rule cities and statutory towns, including
Monument and Palmer Lake, are not subject to this Rule as
they have their own regulations which could lead to an imbalance
in the way water is regulated in the Planning Area. The
300-Year Regulation is similar to the SEO mass balance methodology
in that the amount of groundwater is estimated. Because
the 300-Year Regulation relies on an estimated water-quantity,
it can be difficult to equally apply or strictly enforce.
In recent years there has been consideration of modifying
the 300-Year Water Regulation. This suggestion has met with
significant resistance from area residents. Resistance to
modifying the 300-Year Regulation may in part be due to
a mis-understanding of this Regulation and how it is applied.
Other Colorado counties that rely on ground water are also
experiencing similar problems.
Today,
more reliable hydrologic methodologies are being developed
to test the quantity and life-span of groundwater reserves.
Douglas County recently adopted new water regulations that
are based on the results of specific hydrologic tests. Testing
is the responsibility of the landowner/developer and can
be costly. If in the future the County re-evaluates its
water regulations including the 300-year Regulation, it
will be to assure that there is and will be a sufficient
water supply available for current and future residents.
At this time, consideration may be given to modifying the
requirements for proving sufficiency.
Wastewater
Systems
In addition to the State of Colorado's well-permitting
regulations which effectively limit the densities of areas
not served by central systems, the County's subdivision
and wastewater regulations strictly limit the creation of
new lots to a minimum of 2.5 acres for individual sewage
disposal systems (ISDS) and/or individual wells. It should
also be noted that a combination of stringent design, treatment,
testing, and operation requirements for wastewater treatment
makes it economically impractical to build small central
systems.
Central
wastewater providers in the Tri-Lakes Area are described
in more detail in the Facilities and Services (FS) Section
of this Plan. These providers jointly participate in the
Upper Monument Water Quality Management Association, which
in turn coordinates with Water Quality Management Committee
for the entire Pikes Peak Region. This Committee developed
and maintains a Water Quality Management Plan for the region.
Any new or expanded wastewater treatment plant must be reviewed
and approved through a federally mandated process that is
based on the Water Quality Management Plan. Discharges from
sewage treatment plants are subject to effluent standards
that are federally mandated and administered by the State
Health Department.
Except
in the case of large septic systems, ISDS's are permitted
through the County Health Department. To obtain a permit
a property owner must conduct a percolation test to show
that the soils in the leach field area will adequately accept
discharges from the septic tank. Permits for a conventional
system will not be issued unless an alternate leach field
is also identified. Most tests performed in the planning
area have indicated that the soils are adequate for septic
suitability but occasionally exceptions are found.
ISSUE
WW.1 LONG TERM WATER SUPPLY
Options for development of additional supplies of surface
water within the Tri-Lakes Area are very limited. These
limitations are attributable to the area's semi-arid climate
combined with the fact that essentially all surface water
in the County has been appropriated and is owned by either
the City of Colorado Springs or holders of local and downstream
water rights. While options for participation in trans-mountain
surface water diversion and other water projects are a future
possibility, alternative water sources have high associated
costs, involve many years of planning, and require coordination
and cooperation among individual water providers. In 1997,
the El Paso County Water Authority was formed to explore
alternative water supply options. Members of the Water Authority
from the Planning Area include the Town of Monument, the
Town of Palmer Lake, Academy Water and Sanitation District,
Donala Water and Sanitation District, Woodmoor Water and
Sanitation District, Forest Lakes Metro District, and Triview
Metro District. Options for transporting surface water would
require a considerable planning horizon and action by the
El Paso County Water Authority and/or the City of Colorado
Springs.
GOAL
To ensure long term water supply.
OBJECTIVES
WW
1.1 Support efforts to establish renewable water
supplies.
WW
1.2 Support new development that can provide proof
of adequate water quality, quantity and dependability. Conversely,
do not support development with evidence indicating insufficient
water supply and/or less than acceptable levels of quality
and/or dependability.
WW
1.3 Support the systematic monitoring and careful
administration of the bedrock aquifers to avoid over-allocation
of groundwater.
WW
1.4 Encourage systematic monitoring of known recharge
areas and discourage land use patterns that interrupt the
natural flow of surface and/or tributary ground water.
WW
1.5 Encourage monitoring of water quality in individual
wells. Monitoring of wells could be handled a number of
ways such as through proper instruction methods and/or voluntary
routine disclosure.
WW
1.6 Discourage the severance of water rights from
overlying properties unless an alternate water supply can
be guaranteed.
WW
1.7 Discourage any use or exportation of groundwater
which would adversely impact individual wells or the ecological
integrity of the planning area.
WW
1.8 Support water planning that identifies and analyzes
areas of the County where water supplies have not been proven
to be fully dependable.
PROPOSED
ACTION
WW
1.9 Develop a County-wide standard for a reliable
system of testing the quality, quantity, and dependability
of groundwater.
ISSUE
WW 2 SURFACE WATER RESOURCES
Patterns
of water use have wider environmental impacts related to
modified stream channels and ground water flow dynamics.
For instance, over-lot grading and improper soil stabilization
can result in erosion conditions causing soils to runoff
and fill in wetland areas and drainage channels. Other business
and development practices such as use and disposal of hazardous
materials can also lead to surface and ground water pollution.
Within the Tri-Lakes Area, non-point sources of pollution
are now a primary cause of contamination for surface water
and groundwater. This originates from rainwater or snowmelt
washing past and picking up exposed pollutants. This can
have a major impact on public health by contaminating surface
water. Major sources that significantly impact water quality
have been attributed to runoff of fertilizers, herbicides
and pesticides, antifreeze and motor oil, and animal wastes,
particularly from dogs. As further described in the Drainage
and Flood Control Section of this Plan, the impervious surfaces
associated with development also can contribute significantly
to diminished surface water quality.
GOAL
To protect area streams and groundwater from point
and non-point sources of pollution and runoff.
OBJECTIVES
WW
2.1 Preserve streams, stream channels, valley bottoms,
and lakes to protect the integrity of surface waters and
groundwater recharge areas.
WW
2.2 Consider the water requirements for natural
areas adjacent to proposed developments.
WW
2.3 Reduce sources of point and non-point source
pollutants impacting surface and groundwater.
WW
2.4 Evaluate the consequences to surface water from
new development including runoff of soils, as well as chemical
compounds that may result from the proposed uses including
pesticides, herbicides and hydrocarbons.
PROPOSED
ACTION
WW
2.5
Further identify sources of point and non-point sources
of pollution within the Planning Area.
WW
2.6
Implement appropriate measures to protect and/or mitigate
effects from runoff and point and non-point sources of pollution
to surface water.
WW
2.7 Establish watershed protection areas and control
hazardous uses in areas around well heads.
ISSUE
WW.3 WATER CONSERVATION
A majority of water consumption in the Tri-Lakes
Area is optional in the sense that its use could be forgone
without compromising health or requiring a radical change
in lifestyle or amenities. A variety of water conservation
opportunities may have applicability in the unincorporated
planning area. These include strategies to limit water use
or to reuse water and wastewater beneficially. Water reuse
will be an issue of growing importance. Non-potable water
systems have the potential for greatly extending the available
raw water supply. This is typically accomplished by utilizing
treated wastewater for such purposes as irrigation and augmentation.
Inside water use can be greatly reduced through a combination
of water-saving technology such as low flow showerheads
and toilets, and/or behavioral modification. Exterior uses
can be minimized through use of dryland or xeric landscaping
and efficient irrigation methods. Because of its relatively
moist climate (compared with the rest of the County), and
vegetative diversity, the Planning Area offers significant
opportunities for use of more natural xeriscape vegetation.
The
County does have significant potential for involvement in
matters related to outside water use issues, especially
in the area of xeriscape landscaping. At present, the County
encourages, but does not require or promote this practice.
GOAL
To reduce the reliance on and promote the conservation
of ground water.
OBJECTIVES
WW
3.1 Maximize opportunities for acceptable re-use
of potable and non-potable water including augmentation
and irrigation.
WW
3.2 Minimize the use of water resources through
information, subdivision covenants and developer incentives
to encourage drought tolerant landscaping using native vegetation.
PROPOSED
ACTIONS
WW
3.3 Develop information on dryland landscaping alternatives
and provide incentives to xeriscape.
WW
3.4 Provide current, adequate, and ongoing public
information regarding the importance of water conservation.
Consider instituting a water conservation week.
ISSUE
WW 4 INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION
Within
the Tri-Lakes Area, there are currently five primary water
suppliers, including the Town of Monument, the Town of Palmer
Lake, Donala Water and Sanitation District, Woodmoor Water
and Sanitation District, and Triview Metro District. In
addition to these major providers, there are a few smaller
providers such as the Academy and Forest View Acres Water
and Sanitation Districts and there is also the future possibility
that the Forest Lakes Metro District could emerge as another
major provider. Traditionally these providers have operated
independently. However, as the area continues to develop,
there may be more opportunities to cooperate on additional
external service and/or joint supply and delivery ventures,
possibly through the El Paso County Water Authority.
GOAL
To further additional cooperation among water suppliers
within the Tri-Lakes Planning Area involving joint planning,
system integration and potential collaboration in water
development projects. To plan for long term water supply.
OBJECTIVE
WW
4.1 Support mutually beneficial arrangements among
water providers and consumers to reduce cost and protect
the supply of groundwater and the natural environment.
WW
4.2 Support the integration or interconnection of
water supply systems in the Tri-Lakes Planning Area.
WW
4.3 Encourage locally beneficial cooperative arrangements
between area water providers and the City of Colorado Springs.
PROPOSED
ACTIONS
WW
4.4 Continue to support the El Paso County Water
Authority.
ISSUE
WW 5 WASTEWATER TREATMENT
The
location, mix, and density of land use can be influenced
by the physical, economic, environmental, regulatory, and
policy factors associated with wastewater treatment facilities.
Most
of the urbanized development within the Tri-Lakes Planning
Area obtains its wastewater treatment from either the Tri-Lakes
Wastewater Treatment Plant located on Mitchell Road near
the Synthes plant or the treatment plant located just north
of the USAF Academy. Both treatment facilities are located
west of I-25 in the Monument Creek drainage basin. In these
facilities, wastewater is treated through a series of settlement
basins where wastes are biologically broken down and chemically
treated prior to discharge into Monument Creek. The County
Health Department requires permits for an Individual Sewage
Disposal System (ISDS). In lower density areas (2.5 acre
minimum lot size), treatment of wastewater is usually accomplished
by onsite ISDS's. In most ISDS's, wastewater is given primary
anaerobic treatment in a buried concrete tank before being
distributed to a leach field through a series of perforated
pipes and gravel for final leaching. For a leach field to
function properly, unsaturated and permeable soil conditions
must be present.
In
addition to the State of Colorado's well-permitting regulations
which can limit the densities of areas not served by central
systems, the County's subdivision and wastewater regulations
strictly limit the creation of new lots to a minimum of
2.5 acres when utilizing ISDS's and/or individual wells.
It should also be noted that a combination of stringent
design, treatment, testing, and operation requirements for
wastewater treatment facilities make it economically difficult
to build small central systems.
GOAL
To recognize the unique importance of water and
wastewater service provision in the location, type and
density of land use.
OBJECTIVES
WW
5.1 Carefully consider the impacts that proposed
new developments will have on existing wastewater systems.
WW
5.2 Encourage regional wastewater systems.
WW
5.3 Encourage augmentation on other plans that wisely
use and reuse treated effluent for local irrigation of parks,
golf courses, or other comparable areas, that would otherwise
be irrigated by groundwater
PROPOSED
ACTIONS
WW
5.4 Maintain wastewater flows within the same drainage
basin or district where the flows are generated.
__________________________
*
Tributary Water
Water from streams and alluvial aquifers hydraulically connected
to surface water.
**Ground
Water Levels In the Tri-Lakes Area. El Paso County, Colorado.
1992-1997. Charles J. Robinove. This independent study
was conducted by Mr. Robinove, a hydrologist who was an
appointed member of the El Paso County Tri-Lakes Citizen's
Advisory Committee. The study is included as part of a separate
Technical Appendix to this Plan or may be consulted in the
Monument Hill and Palmer Lake branch libraries of the Pikes
Peak Library District.
***
Ground water aquifer: water bearing stratum of permeable
rock, sand or gravel.
****
Augmentation Plan: A detailed program, which may
be either temporary or perpetual in duration, to increase
the supply of water available for beneficial use in a division
or portion thereof by the development of new or alternate
means or points of diversion, by a pooling of water resources,
by water exchange projects, by providing substitute supplies
of water by development of new sources of water, or by any
other appropriate means. "Plan for augmentation"
does not include the salvage of tributary waters by the
eradication of phreatophytes, nor does it include the use
of tributary water collected from land surfaces that have
been made impermeable, thereby increasing the runoff but
not adding to the existing supply of tributary water. Refer
to C.R.S 37-92-103.
*****
El Paso County Water Authority: Water Authority is
made up of special districts, municipalities, and County
who have the legal ability to provide water. It does not
include Associations, or private water companies. Currently
there are 16 members. Meetings are first Weds of Month at
9:00 am in Board of County Commissioners Conference Room.
Note:
Ground water levels in the Tri-Lakes Area, El Paso County,
Colorado: Charles J. Robinove, Geologist.
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