Leroy Rittgers

The Pueblo Water Municipal Water Efficiency Plan outlines strategies to meet statutory requirements under the Colorado Water Conservation Act of 2004, targeting a total of 9,585 AF in water savings by 2030. The plan's key focus areas include continued efforts in metering and water loss control through annual AWWA audits, enhanced public information and education, and the implementation of a new water waste regulation. Furthermore, it incorporates the use of WeatherTrak controllers for city parks and establishes regular meetings with the Planning Department to integrate water efficiency considerations into land use codes, aiming to ensure long-term water supply reliability and sustainability for the community.

The proposed budget for 2020 outlines a program for personnel, operation and maintenance, capital expenditures, and debt retirement. It recommends a 3.5 percent water rate increase for 2020. The Water Development Fund (WDF) will continue to fund long-term "water development" projects, but revenue from Public Service Company's Comanche Unit 3 will be retained in the general fund to offset the cost of the Hydroelectric Power Plant project and resume transferring the revenue to the WDF in 2021. The Kevin G. McCarthy Hydroelectric Power Plant at the Whitlock Treatment Plant will break ground in 2020. Consumption for 2019 is expected to be approximately 7.92 billion gallons, generating metered water sales of approximately $24.5 million. The budget sustains the Board's continuing commitment to a strong fiscal position while providing system reliability and readiness today and in the future.