EAGLE — Eagle’s second water treatment plant should crank up in two years; the water and sewer rate increases to pay for it will hit next month.
Eagle announced the water and sewer rate increases last spring, when the town board approved building a second water treatment plant.
For almost two decades, Eagle has been kicking around the idea for a second water treatment plant. Facing growth of up to 2,000 housing units in the next several years, the new water treatment plant should accommodate growth for at least the next two decades.
That plant will cost:
• $26,705,796: Total project cost
• $23,424,732: Guaranteed maximum price of the plant itself.
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• $19 million: the maximum amount the town will borrow
• $10 million: Money the town has saved in a special fund.
To pay for it
To pay for it, the town will increase sewer rates 3 percent beginning January 21, 2019. The rate increase will show up on your February 2019 bill.
Along with the sewer rate increase, the town board instituted tiered water rates. Basically, the more treated water you use, the more you’ll pay per gallon. The fee plan also adds a commercial rate. Like residential users, they’ll pay $1.50 for their first 6,000 gallons. After 6,000 gallons, commercial users will pay $6.62 for every 1,000 gallons.
Why a second plant
Eagle’s current plant runs at around 80 percent capacity during the peak summer lawn irrigation season. https://www.vaildaily.com/news/two-sides-staking-out-positions-in-28-million-eagles-water-plant-fight/
The new plant would generate up to 2.5 million gallons of water per day.
The Lower Basin Water Treatment Plant project will be located at the confluence of Brush Creek and the Eagle River, near Eagle’s existing water treatment plant.
Conservation counts
Along with the fee structure, the plan sets an aggressive goal of cutting water use by 5 percent over five years.
The town’s water use in its parks is down 3 percent in the last three years, according to the town’s public works department. The town also replaced much of its leaky water pipe system, and plugging those holes saved around 20 percent.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vaildaily.com.
