You turn on the tap, and clean water flows out. You flush your toilet, and the waste is washed away. That’s because of public water and wastewater infrastructure.
In two Douglas County towns, residents are having a different experience. Due to aging infrastructure, major upgrades are needed to restore water quality in Louviers and Sedalia. During a regular business meeting Tuesday, April 11, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners approved grant funding to help hundreds of residents in these Douglas County towns get the clean water infrastructure they need.
A $2.6 million grant agreement with Sedalia Water and Sanitation District will be used for leak repair and water line replacements that are needed to alleviate frequent water line breaks and increase capacity. Voter-approved funding in Sedalia will also contribute to this project.
A $1.6 million grant agreement with Louviers Water and Sanitation District will be used to build a radium treatment system and replace aging water lines. The infrastructure in Louviers dates back to the early 1900s. In 2020, the discovery of radium in the water put the district under an enforcement order from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The district is also using local funding and applying for state and federal grants to fund these improvements.
The Board of County Commissioners’ ARPA grant allocations to these two water providers are part of a larger vision to improve water and wastewater infrastructure along the US 85 corridor. Overall, the County will invest more than $35 million of its ARPA funding in water and wastewater projects, including an 11-mile water and wastewater pipeline for the US 85 corridor in partnership with Castle Rock Water.
“Clean water is foundational to community – healthy families, a thriving economy, and our way of life,” said Commissioner George Teal. “By working together, we’re building water and wastewater infrastructure for the future of the US 85 corridor in Douglas County.”
Watch this video for an overview of the projects.
In all, the County received $68.2 million in funding from the federal government that will be invested in legacy projects countywide in areas such as wildfire prevention and response, mental and behavioral health, economic foundations, homelessness and helping members of our community with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Learn more about the County’s ARPA Investments.