Regional Partnership Emerges to Secure Sustainable Water Solutions for the Future 

 The Fort Collins-Loveland Water District (FCLWD), the Town of Eaton, the Town of Severance, and the Town of Windsor have announced the formation of the Cobb Lake Regional Water Treatment Authority (CLRWTA) – a forward-thinking collaboration created to meet the long-term water treatment needs of the rapidly growing region served by these local water providers.  

“With a shared mission to treat and deliver clean, safe, and affordable water to these four service areas,  CLRWTA allows participating entities to share resources and infrastructure to meet year-round demands and increase water treatment resilience. This will be a critical need for our community, and we are excited to be a part of the solution,” Town of Eaton Mayor Scott Moser said. 

CLRWTA will be constructing up to 20 miles of underground pipeline and a state-of-the-art water treatment facility located 10 miles north of Windsor in Weld County. 

“By 2050, the population of Northern Colorado is expected to double,” Mayor Paul Rennemeyer, Town of Windsor, said. “Such significant growth requires the need to secure adequate water supply well in advance. CLRWTA entities are among the 15 Front Range participants in Northern Water’s Northern  Integrated Supply Project (NISP) and, as part of that 20-year project, Cache la Poudre River water will be  stored in Glade Reservoir, delivered to the CLRWTA treatment plant and distributed to the four entities  through a shared underground pipeline.”  

Pipeline construction is anticipated to begin in 2027 and the water treatment facility is estimated to be complete and operational by 2030, creating up to a dozen water treatment operations jobs responsible for treating water and ensuring consistent quality. CLRWTA will initiate a call for proposals in early 2024  for project design and construction.  

Water projects in Colorado are subject to strict environmental laws and regulations. For NISP, experts analyzed 16 individual project concepts with 215 potential elements and agreed that NISP is the best solution to supply Northern Colorado with this critical resource. The formation of CLRWTA continues the commitment to meet high standards of environmental and social responsibility by working collaboratively on one new water treatment project instead of four independent entities working alone on separate projects. 

“Regional collaboration is critical to securing and managing current and future water needs,” Chris  Pletcher, FCLWD, general manager, said. “In addition to acquiring new water supplies, water conservation, and efficiency play a critical role in solving local water challenges, but it’s simply not enough to support the future growth of our region, which is why we are passionate about bringing this collaboration effort to life.” 

This project will primarily be paid for by new growth, though it also offers existing customers the benefits of increased resiliency and economies of scale from shared infrastructure.  

“The benefit for CLRWTA entities is that we will be able to cost share all design, construction, and operation and maintenance expenses,” Mayor Matthew Fries, Town of Severance, said. “More information on impacts to current ratepayers will be evaluated through additional studies and communicated as information becomes available. Each entity will bear its share of costs in the CLRWTA  treatment plant and pipeline and address its customer rates individually.”  

For more information about CLRWTA, visit CLRWTA.org.