A collaborative effort involving several cities is now underway in northern Colorado that it is hoped will eventually result in the construction of a $150 million water pump station.
The newly formed Cobb Lake Regional Water Treatment Authority is bringing together the cities of Eaton, Severance, and Windsor in a joint move to get the facility built. A fourth entity in the effort is the Fort Collins-Loveland Water District.
In a statement, Scott Moser, the mayor of Eaton, said the new authority will allow “participating entities to share resources and infrastructure to meet year-around demands and increase water treatment resilience.”
Added Moser: “This will be a critical need for our community, and we are excited to be a part of the solution.
The project is in many ways a response to population trends in the northern part of the state.
In the last two decades, Eaton’s population has more than doubled from 2,600 people to more to around 5,800; while Severance has gone from less than 1,000 during that same period of time to nearly 11,000 today; Windsor’s population, meanwhile, has jumped from just under 10,000 people to more than 35,000.
As envisioned, the new water treatment authority will not only see the construction of a water treatment facility, which will be located roughly 10 miles to the north of Windsor, but also the building of up to 20 miles of underground pipeline.
Funding for the project will come partly via ratepayers in the three cities, with plans for work on the pipeline go begin in 2027. It is thought that the new facility will be operational by 2030.
By Garry Boulard
