The Sweetwater Authority announced it secured an additional year’s worth of local water supply with the completion of a second water transfer, saving approximately $11 million in costs associated with purchasing water.
According to the SWA, the Sweetwater Reservoir is at over 50 percent capacity for the first time since 2019. SWA Board Chairman Hector Martinez said the rain has been great for the region this year, but the board has to plan ahead by recognizing the existing drought conditions.
“The Board is committed to continuing to prioritize efforts to increase local supplies through our upcoming Strategic Plan workshop and leveraging those supplies as we begin our rate study later this month. We are looking forward to completing our analysis of the potential to include recycled water as part of the Authority’s water supply portfolio and implementation of the Sweetwater Reservoir Enhancement Project, which include water quality improvements, storage augmentation, and resource recovery,” Martinez said in a press release.
The SWA conducts controlled transfers when water is moved from the Loveland Reservoir to the Sweetwater Reservoir through the Sweetwater River. The water that is captured at the Sweetwater Reservoir is treated and distributed to SWA customers.
According to the SWA, this method allows water to be distributed to customers at lower costs than importing water.
A similar water transfer was last initiated in November 2022. That transfer captured approximately 4,000 acre-feet of water, saving Authority customers more than $6.2 million.
