Graphic provided by sdswater.org
Yesterday, Pueblo County approved a storm water control plan totaling at least $460 million paid by Colorado Springs. This agreement will allow a new pipeline to start operations as planned tomorrow.
The Southern Delivery System or SDS is designed to move millions of gallons of Arkansas River water each day to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Pueblo West and Security. Pueblo threatened to delay the opening of the pipeline unless Colorado Springs ponied up funds to solve flooding issues on Fountain Creek. Pueblo county commissioner Terry Hart says after years of tough negotiations, the new agreement is designed to be flexible.
“It literally puts the two communities at the table resolving what projects need to be done and then modifying that over time, as we learn more to determine what’s working and what isn’t,” Hart says.
Water delivered by the $825 million SDS project will be used to meet the needs of southern Colorado’s growing population.
