Westminster Boulevard Drinking Water Project

Welcome

Welcome to the online open house for the Westminster Boulevard Drinking Water Project. In September 2023, a draft environmental assessment (EA) report was released for public review and comment. Since then, we’ve reviewed the feedback and made changes to the EA where applicable. In addition, following the public review period, changes were made to the project design, including adjustments to utility alignments and locations, which require new analysis.

The revised draft EA, which addresses public comments and includes new analysis for project changes, is now available for review and comment. Use this online open house to learn more about the project and see what’s changed regarding the EA. To view the revised draft EA, visit westminsterco.gov/drinkingwaterproject.

Navigation & Site Use

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Sections with an asterisk (*) next to the title are areas where information has been updated or added from the previous online open house in fall 2023.
Comments: The comment period for the revised draft EA is closed.

What We've Heard So Far*

Impacts on Wildlife

Many people expressed concerns about the project’s impact on wildlife, habitat, open space, and recreation resources.

We will design the project to minimize the impacts to the resources present in the project area. This includes wildlife and their habitat, open space, and recreation resources. We are working closely with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to protect sensitive species, including bald eagles. No active eagle nests will be directly impacted by project construction. The project also includes various measures to minimize impacts to valuable habitat and recreation resources that occur in the project area.

Prairie Dogs

Concern was expressed over the prairie dog populations in the project area:

Whether construction of the drinking water facility would result in their migration onto adjacent properties.
What will happen to the species because of project construction.

We understand the public’s concerns regarding wildlife and other natural resources. Prairie dog management can be a delicate process, and we are taking steps to make sure it is completed in a thoughtful way that limits negative impacts to neighboring properties and the species. The City will work with a wildlife expert who specializes in prairie dog management in Colorado to implement a prairie dog control strategy and consider appropriate veterinarian guidelines and standards.

Building Design

Participants expressed interest in the drinking water facility design and building a sustainable facility that incorporates design features to minimize air quality, noise, light, vibration, visual and energy impacts.

The project is being designed in pursuit of the guidelines produced by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). ISI is the organization that developed and manages Envision. The Envision framework provides a flexible system of criteria and performance objectives to aid decision makers and help project teams identify sustainable, resilient, and equitable approaches during the planning, design, and construction that will continue throughout the project’s operations, maintenance, and end-of-life phases. We intend to apply for Envision credits for the project and are including measures to minimize impacts to the surrounding community.

Sections with an asterisk (*) next to the title are areas where information has been updated or added from the previous online open house in fall 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions*

Below are a few frequently asked questions that we heard at our in-person open house and in the comments we received.

The project team is comprised of a few different consultants:

CDM Smith: Drinking Water Facility Design
Olsson: Environmental Assessment
HDR: Community Outreach and Communications, Site Selection, and Modeling
Hazen: Drinking Water Facility Process Design
McCarthy: Drinking Water Facility Construction Manager, Cost Estimating and Cost Efficiency
Burns and McDonnell: Water Supply Line Design
CDM Smith: Finished Water Pipeline and Supporting Off-Site Utilities Design

After the City identified the need for a new drinking water facility, a site selection alternatives analysis was conducted to evaluate sites suitable for construction of a new facility. The site selection process identified more than 50 sites for initial consideration. The initial site list was narrowed to nine using three categories of evaluation criteria:

Community
Engineering
Site characteristics

The next phase of the process further reduced the list to three recommended sites. After further consideration, the site at 98th Avenue and Westminster Boulevard was selected.

The new facility is not anticipated to have any strong odors associated with it as it is an indoor facility dedicated to treating drinking water. It is not a wastewater facility.

The dewatering basins on the north side of the property are not expected to generate any sulfur odors during normal operations. The solids that accumulate in the basins will be periodically removed usually after a freeze/thaw, draining/drying cycle over the winter.

Final design is not yet complete. The current design of the drinking water facility shows building heights ranging from approximately 11 feet to almost 50 feet in height. Most of the buildings are between 20 feet to 30 feet in height, with a few buildings under 20 feet in height. The tallest building is just under 50 feet in height. The water storage tank is not elevated and is included in the above-mentioned range of building heights.

The finished waterline is sized for the first phase of the water treatment facility. An additional finished waterline will be built when Semper is decommissioned. This will help improve reliability and resiliency in the event of water main breaks or other issues that can arise unexpectedly.

There will be dewatering basins on the northwest area of the property that will be filled and emptied on a cycle. Mosquito problems are not anticipated, but they will be mitigated if they occur.

Sections with an asterisk (*) next to the title are areas where information has been updated or added from the previous online open house in fall 2023.

Water System Overview

The City of Westminster is committed to providing affordable, high-quality water services.

Scroll through the slider to see where your water comes from!

The Front Range is a dry place. Like most communities in Colorado, Westminster's water starts as snowflakes that fall in the Rocky Mountains. About 12 inches of snow melts to one inch of water on average, but that's not always the case. We monitor snow water equivalent, or how much water is contained in snow, at two locations to get a better estimate of how much water is expected during the spring runoff.

The majority of Westminster's water comes from the Clear Creek watershed. Snow across 400 square miles of mountainous terrain surrounding Golden, Idaho Springs, Central City, Georgetown, and Loveland Pass melts in the spring and summer and flows into Clear Creek.

A small portion of Westminster's water comes from the Continental Divide thanks to a long-standing agreement with Denver Water.

Water is serious business in Colorado. Westminster is only allowed to store and use water that it has a right to use.

Westminster partners with neighboring communities and businesses that also rely on Clear Creek to monitor its water quality. Ten monitoring sites take over three million water quality tests each year. If contamination occurs, an automated alert system will alert downstream users.

Canals play a critical role moving water across Colorado, and Westminster is no different. Three different canals are designed to bring water to Standley Lake. In an emergency, canal gates can be adjusted to divert flows from entering Standley Lake.

Standley Lake stores 13 billion gallons of water for Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn, and Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO). Enough water is stored in Standley Lake to serve Westminster residents and businesses for one and a half years.

The biggest threat to Westminster's water supply is climate variability — drought and wildfire, most specifically. Changes to precipitation and temperatures will affect how much water Westminster may receive in a given year. Staff carefully monitor the City's water supply and plan for the future. Drought is always possible, but Westminster's water supply will remain in good shape if residents continue to conserve water like they have over the last 20 years.

City of Westminster
Water Quick Facts

More than nine billion gallons of water supplied to 33,000 homes and businesses each year.
Two existing water treatment facilities
- Semper Water Treatment Facility (provides 75% of the City's water).
- Northwest Water Treatment Facility (provides 25% of the City's water).
Over 500 miles of existing potable water pipe.
Water storage facilities throughout the city.

Project Overview*

Between 2015-2021, the City evaluated options for a new water treatment facility to provide the community with clean, safe and affordable drinking water.

The facility will be built on the east side of Westminster Boulevard between 98th and 104th avenues.

The new water treatment facility will eventually replace Semper as it is phased out over the next two decades.

As part of the project, the City would also install a new water supply line, finished waterline, sewer line, and other supporting utilities.

Anticipated Timeline

Project History

The City began planning for a new water treatment facility to replace the Semper Water Treatment Facility.

A reevaluation of the project began after the community raised concerns about affordability.

Under City Council's guidance, different facility options were considered to better balance the community's need for clean, safe and affordable water.

The reevaluation focused on rightsizing the facility and associated infrastructure, which originally had an inflation-adjusted cost of over $300 million.
Staff assessed and presented alternative sites, facility capacities, and treatment capabilities.
The reevaluation resulted in an adjustment of the water treatment facility's capacity. The new conceptual design reduced the facility's treatment capacity by 25% and offered a different mix of water treatment technologies.
The anticipated cost also decreased by $100 million to a more affordable project estimate of $196 million. This estimate is based on current information and could vary by 30% depending on final design, cost escalation, and regulatory compliance. The possible inclusion of ozone treatment could also add an additional $20 million to the project cost.

City Council adopted Resolution 13 directing staff to pursue the design of a substantially different water treatment facility.

Sections with an asterisk (*) next to the title are areas where information has been updated or added from the previous online open house in fall 2023.

Building Responsibly

Updating Westminster buildout demand for drinking water revealed projected demand decreased due to the community's water conservation practices. In 2015, projected buildout demand was 60 million gallons per day (MGD). In 2022, projected buildout demand showed a 25% reduction at 45 MGD.

As a result of this decrease:

For the first phase of the project, the proposed drinking water facility went from two treatment trains to one treatment train with the rightsized treatment capacity decreasing from 30 MGD to 14.7 MGD. A treatment train is a sequence of treatment stages the water flows through.

The water supply line diameter decreased from 42 inches to 36 inches, allowing the waterline to connect to a location that is closer to the site. The subsequent reduction in length resulted in significant cost savings.

The finished waterline diameter decreased from 36 inches to 30 inches.

Why a New Facility?

The 54-year-old Semper Water Treatment Facility is nearing the end of its useful life and will soon be phased out.

The Semper site is inadequate for upgrading the facility to meet current and anticipated regulatory needs. The new facility would provide an affordable solution with the flexibility to:

Replace aging infrastructure and expand if needed.
Respond to future state and federal clean water regulations.
Build additional treatment processes to respond to potential future wildfire or watershed contamination and emerging contaminants.

Utilities*

In conjunction with the new water treatment facility, several supporting utilities will need to be installed.

Water Supply Line

A two-mile, 36-inch-wide underground water supply line would transport untreated water from to the new treatment facility. The new water supply line would connect to the existing Standley Lake waterlines and would connect to the facility at the project site’s southern boundary.

Finished Waterline

A 30-inch-diameter underground finished waterline would deliver drinking water from the facility to our community through a connection to an existing water main in Sheridan Boulevard.

Sewer Line

Underground sewer line would be installed and connected to an existing sewer main.

Other Supporting Utilities

Gas service (underground)
Fiber communications (underground)
Electrical service (underground)

Sections with an asterisk (*) next to the title are areas where information has been updated or added from the previous online open house in fall 2023.

What is an Environmental Assessment (EA)?

In order to secure federal funding for the drinking water facility, the City is required to conduct an EA of the proposed site. An EA describes how a project will affect people, animals, land, water, and air quality in an area. Should a potentially undesirable impact be identified during the EA, the applicant is required to propose alternative solutions to address the issue. An EA also offers a robust public engagement process, including a public comment period, and requires the City to respond to public comments in the final EA document. The EA will evaluate the facility site, waterline alignments, and cumulative impacts to the City's water service area.

Purpose and Need

Explore the specific purpose and need of the project in more detail below.

The Semper Water Treatment Facility is over 50 years old with a significant number of its assets at or beyond their predicted service life.
Semper's aging condition makes it costly to maintain and vulnerable to water-quality challenges due to drought and wildfire.
Increasingly stringent state and federal clean water requirements will make Semper more expensive to operate and maintain.

Source water refers to sources of water such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, that provide water to public drinking water supplies. The City's source water is susceptible to water quality challenges due to the increased frequency and severity of drought, floods, and wildfires in the Clear Creek watershed.
Wildfires in our watershed can cause poor raw water conditions that can last for months or even years. We have had high-quality raw water because there has not been a wildfire in the Clear Creek watershed for over 50 years. Northwest Water Treatment Facility has reliably treated raw water with a wide range of water quality. When raw water conditions are challenging, the City will not be able to rely on Semper to produce drinking water as consistently as Northwest.

Semper likely cannot treat the anticipated quality of source water under potential future drinking water regulatory standards.
Federal drinking water regulations change over time. When Semper was built 50+ years ago, regulations were very different from what they are today. While Semper continues to provide exceptionally good drinking water that exceeds standards and regulations, it would not be approved for construction today. Like building code changes, present-day design standards and processes for water treatment facility construction have changed over time, which makes it costly to update and difficult to achieve desired water quality under potential, future catastrophic source water quality issues.

Semper lacks sufficient space to reliably produce and deliver drinking water when portions of the facility come due for replacement in upcoming years.

Alternatives

The EA considers two alternatives:

No Action Alternative: No construction and the existing site and infrastructure remain unchanged.
Proposed Action:
- New 14.7 million gallons per day (MGD) drinking water facility
- Tie into the existing water supply lines with a new pipe to deliver raw water to the new facility
- New finished waterline to connect the facility to the existing distribution system
Other action alternatives were considered, including alternative waterline alignments, alternative facility and associated infrastructure sizing, treatment capacities, and treatment capabilities.

Impacts on the Human Environment*

The table below describes the relative impact of the project to various human environment factors.

Factor	Negligible or No Effect	Minor Effect	Moderate Effect	Potential Positive/Negative Project Effects	Avoidance/Minimization/Mitigation Measures
Cultural, Historical, & Paleontological Resources		X		No anticipated impact to known cultural, historical, or paleontological resources Unknown cultural resources could be uncovered during construction	Implement Inadvertent Discovery Plan that includes procedures in the event human remains, cultural resources, or paleontological resources are uncovered during construction Consult with State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
Environmental Justice	X			No disproportionately high and adverse impacts for minority and low-income populations when compared to the general population
Land Use		X		Change in land use at drinking water facility site Project is consistent with City's Comprehensive Plan
Public Health		X		Exposure to occupational human health and safety risks by construction workers and operations staff Allows greater resiliency to address potential future source water and drinking water quality challenges	Implement best management practices and standard operating procedures to minimize impacts to worker and staff health and safety
Recreation		X		Short-term and temporary trail and open space closures during construction	Provide advanced notification to the public of closures and provide signage directing users to alternate routes and/or facilities
Socioeconomics	X			Short-term and temporary benefit to economy from influx of construction workers spending locally Long-term benefit from creation of new jobs at the drinking water facility
Transportation		X		Short-term and temporary increase in traffic associated with construction Road closures/detours during construction Minor long-term increase in traffic associated with operations	Prepare Traffic Management Plan Provide advanced notification to the public and emergency service providers of closures/detours and provide signage directing users to alternate routes
Utility Services		X		Potential for short-term and temporary utility interruptions during construction	Schedule during non-peak use periods Limit utility conflicts through design Provide advanced notification to customers about planned service disruptions during construction
Visual			X	Short-term and temporary visual impacts associated with construction activities New visually dominant feature New source of light/glare	Incorporate Uniform Development Code standards for exterior treatments, lighting and illumination, and vegetation screening into drinking water facility design

Negligible/None: There would be no measurable or perceptible impact.

Minor: The impact would be measurable or perceptible, but it is slight and would only affect a limited area of a resource or group of resources.

Moderate: The impact would be measurable and perceptible.

Major/Significant: The impact would be substantial, noticeable, and permanent.

Sections with an asterisk (*) next to the title are areas where information has been updated or added from the previous online open house in fall 2023.

Impacts on the Physical Environment*

The table below describes the relative impact of the project to various physical environment factors.

Factor	Minor Effect	Moderate Effect	Potential Positive/Negative Project Effects	Avoidance/Minimization/Mitigation Measures
Air Quality	X		Short-term and temporary increase in air pollution during construction Minor increase in air pollution from periodic operation of drinking water facility emergency generators	Complete Air Pollutant Emissions Notice Implement construction best management practices, such as: minimize idling of construction equipment, fugitive dust control, etc.
Floodplains	X		Some water or sewer line installations would occur within a floodplain	Obtain Floodplain Development Permit
Geology & Soils	X		Erosion and sedimentation during construction	Implement control measures, such as: silt fences, erosion logs, vehicle tracking pads, good housekeeping practices, etc.
Hazardous Materials	X		Accidental spills associated with the use of hazardous materials during construction and operation (e.g., fuels, oil, chemicals, etc.)	Prepare Spill Pollution Prevention Plan, Health and Safety Plan, and Emergency Response Plan Incorporate secondary containment features into drinking water facility design
Noise & Vibration		X	Short-term and temporary increase in ambient noise levels due to construction activities Increase in ambient noise from operation of drinking water facility	Implement construction best management practices, such as: follow noise ordinance, install noise control techniques on construction equipment, etc. Incorporate noise mitigating features into drinking water facility design where possible
Water Quality	X		Erosion and sedimentation during construction Accidental spills	Obtain Construction Stormwater Discharge Permit and Dewatering General Permit Prepare Stormwater Management Plan and implement control measures specified in it Implement construction best management practices to protect nearby waters Prepare Spill Pollution Prevention Plan

Sections with an asterisk (*) next to the title are areas where information has been updated or added from the previous online open house in fall 2023.

Impacts on the Biological Environment*

The table below describes the relative impact of the project to various biologic environment factors.

Factor	Minor Effect	Moderate Effect	Major/ Significant Effect	Potential Positive/Negative Project Effects	Avoidance/Minimization/Mitigation Measures
Migratory Birds		X		Short-term and temporary disturbance during construction Habitat for migratory birds and raptors present Active raptor nest present in project vicinity	Implement Tree Removal Plan that includes measures to reduce or avoid impacts to migratory birds and raptors Conduct pre-construction nest clearance surveys Consult with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
Terrestrial & Aquatic Wildlife	X			Temporary disturbance during construction Work within Aquatic Sportfish Management Waters High Priority Habitat buffer	Consult with CPW and USFW on activity buffers for work within Aquatic Sportfish Management Waters and appropriate construction best management practices to be implemented for protection of water and wildlife
Threatened & Endangered Species		X		Habitat for federally-listed species not present Habitat for state-listed burrowing owl, bald eagle, and black-tailed prairie dog potentially impacted	Conduct pre-construction burrowing owl surveys Implement prairie dog relocation/removal effort
Vegetation & Noxious Weeds		X		Temporary impacts to upland vegetation during construction Permanent removal of trees Spread of noxious weeds	Prepare Tree Mitigation Plan and Noxious Weed Management Plan Revegetate/reclaim disturbed areas with approved native seed mix
Wetlands/Waters of the U.S.			X	Temporary impacts to wetlands / waters of the U.S.	Obtain Clean Water Act Section 404 Permits from the USACE

Sections with an asterisk (*) next to the title are areas where information has been updated or added from the previous online open house in fall 2023.

Funding and Rates

The City is exploring a variety of funding options: grants, cash on hand, municipal revenue bonds, Drinking Water Revolving Fund financing from the state, and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act financing from the federal government.

The near- and long-term fiscal plan for the water utility currently includes annual rate adjustments over the next decade to support:

Operations and maintenance of the system

Current and future debt service obligations

The defined 2024-2028 Capital Improvement Plan, including a new water treatment facility and other important repair and replacement infrastructure projects

This information is based on current data and is subject to change as more project details are determined.

Your Voice Matters

Thank you for your input. Your feedback from the comment period will be evaluated and included in the final EA later this year. There will be additional opportunities to provide feedback as design of the drinking water facility progresses. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date and be informed when those opportunities come up.

The comment period for the revised draft EA is closed.

Visit Project Website Email the Project Team Call the Project team: (720) 464-3435 Newsletter Sign Up

Welcome

Navigation & Site Use

What We've Heard So Far*

Impacts on Wildlife

Prairie Dogs

Building Design

Frequently Asked Questions*

Who are the consultants working on the project and what is their role?

How was the site selected?

Will there be any odors associated with the facility?

How tall will the buildings be? Is the water tank elevated or close to the ground?

Is the finished waterline only sized for phase 1?

Will there be open water surfaces that would create a mosquito problem?

Water System Overview

City of Westminster Water Quick Facts

Project Overview*

Anticipated Timeline

Project History

2015: Planning

2021 - 2023: Community Input

2021 - 2023: A New Plan

2023: Council Resolution Adoption

Building Responsibly

Why a New Facility?

Utilities*

Water Supply Line

Finished Waterline

Sewer Line

Other Supporting Utilities

What is an Environmental Assessment (EA)?

Purpose and Need

Address Aging Infrastructure

Source Water Quality Challenges

Regulatory Constraints

Providing Reliable Drinking Water

Alternatives

Impacts on the Human Environment*

Impacts on the Physical Environment*

Impacts on the Biological Environment*

Funding and Rates

Your Voice Matters

City of Westminster
Water Quick Facts