Click the link to read the article on the Sky-Hi News website (Meg Soyars). Here’s an excerpt:
In 2022, the town enlisted Merrick and Company to draft a water efficiency plan. Merrick is a engineering, architecture and surveying company. On March 15, Merrick and Company presented the draft of the plan to the Fraser Board of Trustees.
“This (plan) will help us get a grip on what’s currently happening in our water system, so we can really build forward with that data to better analyze what we need more from water supply,” said Town Manager Michael Brack.
If approved by the town and the public, the plan will be put into practice for the next five years. The town is currently reviewing the plan before they submit it to the public.
Fraser’s water comes from 11 groundwater wells near the Fraser River. The water originates as snowmelt from the mountains. The snowmelt flows into the Fraser Valley and collects underground, which the wells tap into. Fraser’s water rights are also some of the most senior in Colorado, offering a stable supply – albeit dependent on snowfall.
The plan addresses five key solutions to improve water sustainability:
– Meter replacement to get a better idea of water usage, with an estimated saving of 2,800,000 gallons over five years.
– Database improvements to identify service line leaks, faulty meters and more.
– Residential rate structure amendments to encourage water conservation.
– Leak reduction measures, with an estimated savings of 11,300,000 gallons over five years.
– Community outreach with the town’s largest water users to potentially reengineer aging systems.
