[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6505092,"mediaKeyId","5444781-c7009286bf6cf54019909a1574603f34","parentId",5444781,"title","Water Resources Advisory Board backs 2026 CIP, recommends 8% water, 6% wastewater, 5% stormwater rate increases","audioSeconds",2074,"startMs",416000,"endMs",2490000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5444781-c7009286bf6cf54019909a1574603f34&start=416&end=2490","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5444781-c7009286bf6cf54019909a1574603f34/thumbnail_416000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6505092/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Water-Resources-Advisory-Board-backs-2026-CIP-recommends-8-water-6-wastewater-5-stormwater-rate-increases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505092-855c8f2a03a8c48c4f7cc3accedf0ea0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770700595&Signature=KSw3kbNiIgtiLGRX01dE5M4Tk5h20MhOYuxaKcQZURMqRQ5KwC4T984MCGLiEeCjW5nxIkTxrkXoKFPa5rJlUHjeZZAaZinXg9H4w22LIv21OmepGNe0NRyvT618EWpjpkZL~ecFI6UhK~RQJybp6nx2uVtrFE3PsKyu~TCrYAQpzkrda6PdzudSygfuM10C4bRgxhS-M-gU7zSDoez4BwZy3beSrduaYrQq73FIxaBBiNlTcDC3QlIOIwCZwMQjdKH5itIfEtCV5WsLzmvL8gvCIA7Dp8bF~7jfMSnTJ2u2tuVepACEze7Hk9QWgsy5ck7iRxIzkk401~rGQHPDtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boulder City, CO","date","2025-07-22T23:46:49.257Z","article","The Water Resources Advisory Board on July 21 recommended that Boulder City Council approve the 2026 capital improvement program for the city’s water, wastewater and stormwater/flood utilities and endorsed proposed 2026 rate increases of 8% for the water utility, 6% for the wastewater utility and 5% for the stormwater and flood-management utility.

The recommendation matters because the CIP and associated rate adjustments fund large rehabilitation and supply projects the utilities staff says are necessary to maintain system reliability and position the city for planned bonding in 2028–29.

City utilities Director Joe Tediichi opened the discussion by describing the CIP review schedule and asking the board to make a recommendation to council on the 2026 CIP and associated utility rates. Principal financial analyst Steph Klingemann and Utilities Engineering Manager Chris Douglas summarized adjustments since June: the board was shown a six-year window for context, but asked to weigh in on the single-year 2026 recommendation.

Klingemann described staff’s recommended rates and near-term financial strategy: an 8% increase in the water fund for 2026, a 6% wastewater increase and a 5% increase for stormwater/flood management. She also noted projected follow-up rate increases in 2027–28 (including additional 8% increases in some funds in later years) and said staff budgeted $110,000 for a comprehensive utilities cost-of-service and rate study to begin a request-for-proposals process later this year. Staff forecasted the study would encompass user fees and plant-investment fees and include a public-outreach component.

Board members asked for detail on bonding and project timing. Klingemann and Douglas said staff moved one large project (identified in the presentation as the Patasso/Picasso project) up one year to better align with planned debt issuance. Staff also reported a reduction in forecasted bonding need for the wastewater fund in 2029 from $69,000,000 to $54,000,000 after finding additional cash-flow capacity. Specific large projects cited in staff materials included approximately $26,000,000 in transmission-system work and a $35,000,000 Barker Dam outlet-works project in the water fund; Douglas characterized the Barker work as rehabilitation of century-old outlet works to increase operational flexibility.

On a related point, staff corrected a public-comment figure that had characterized the South Boulder Creek flood project as a $94,000,000 effort: Tediichi said the project is in staff materials as a roughly $66,000,000 project and that bonding for the South Boulder Creek work is on hold while litigation is pending.

Board discussion also addressed customer affordability. Klingemann and staff reiterated the board’s prior direction to maintain reserve metrics such as days cash on hand and debt service coverage; staff noted that the average monthly bill impact in the materials for the recommended 2026 rates was roughly $9 per month for the average residential account. Staff and board members discussed the city’s existing bill-assistance program as part of the affordability safety net.

After public comment and deliberation, the board voted on two staff-drafted motions. The first motion recommended approval of a set of named water/wastewater projects in the 2026–31 CIP (motion text was read into the record). The second motion recommended that city council adopt the 2026 CIP for the remaining projects across the water, wastewater and stormwater/flood utilities and support the proposed 2026 rate adjustments of 8% (water), 6% (wastewater) and 5% (stormwater/flood). Both motions were adopted by voice vote (ayes recorded). The motions as read and adopted are reflected in the actions section below.

What happens next: staff said they would bring a final package and, after any public hearing required by council, ask council for action on the CIP and rate ordinances. Board members will see the results of the planned rate study later this year and discussion of implementation options in 2026 as staff refines multi-year forecasts.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","7-21-25 Water Resources Advisory Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Water Resources Advisory Board on July 21 recommended that Boulder City Council approve the 2026 capital improvement program for the city’s water, wastewater and stormwater/flood utilities and endorsed proposed 2026 rate increases of 8% for the water utility, 6% for the wastewater utility and 5% for the stormwater and flood-management utility.","taxTitle","Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado","taxId",3386,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6505082,"Community member raises water-diversion and retrofit concerns; staff corrects project cost and notes litigation",1250,179000,1429000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5444781-c7009286bf6cf54019909a1574603f34&start=179&end=1429","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5444781-c7009286bf6cf54019909a1574603f34/thumbnail_179000.jpg","/articles/6505082/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Community-member-raises-water-diversion-and-retrofit-concerns-staff-corrects-project-cost-and-notes-litigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505082-4c5da570d8fe9f6a4395d4d3c2e9f2e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770700595&Signature=J0htdbXRmQV3VEXncWjR~VDYMk1XxwKTmk~R2y4xJsrtqPDdRndzo0rPXBxUZLiUAgi8W5mpndEf2VQh9lpp3chTFVneCahYjt1Fv~v2dWk8OVHNJYQ6FbOZ7Ce6JMZ52UfAvXYV-v3MBJ738mUkRDWJRhqij6Y2I71k6FM57SD9fsx0asD9CH5tN-wa7o-RGRwOdqhlBusFDDmpob9E6P3s2hHBWxeU2izbnxBQuD0nzSc8NwQR-9OK2SXbDc3pv9uYbPhCiQ2nggHkQ~4eAcHxwXma8iloKDpxZvWufN0LpI7d2cIqja5GCuZHchgpouFFwVj~WUmmbSMnGbuwPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A community member identified in the record as Lynn Segal used the meeting’s public-comment period to criticize a proposed groundwater-diversion project at CU South and to express broader concerns about water affordability and development. Segal said the diversion project was “$94,000,000” and warned it would deplete adjacent grassland groundwater and increase flood risk.

Segal’s remarks were followed later in the meeting during the CIP public-comment segment by additional remarks attributed to the same speaker about a city-provided energy retrofit (an air-source heat-pump hot-water heater). Segal said the device produced very cold hot water, was noisy and was unaffordable to maintain; she described the situation for herself as an affordability hardship.

Staff responded to the public-cost claim during the CIP discussion. Joe Tediichi, director of the Utilities Department, said the figure cited by the commenter was incorrect: in staff materials the South Boulder Creek flood project is shown at about $66,000,000, not $94,000,000, and he added that the project is currently the subject of litigation. Tediichi said that because litigation is unresolved, planned bonding for that project is on hold.

Meeting staff reminded speakers of the virtual-meeting rules and the three-minute public-comment limit; the technical host, Joanna Bloom, provided contact information for connectivity issues and the Q&A function was available for technical problems.

No formal board action was taken in response to the public comments; staff incorporated correction of the project-cost number into the CIP discussion and noted the litigation status as a constraint on bond timing.","During public comment, a resident criticized a proposed groundwater diversion at CU South and later described problems with a city-provided air-source heat-pump water heater. Staff clarified a public figure for the South Boulder Creek flood project and said bonding is on hold while litigation continues.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6505088,"Staff outlines integrated water-supply planning tied to Boulder comprehensive plan; scenarios show supply adequate under most futures",1029,2542000,3571000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5444781-c7009286bf6cf54019909a1574603f34&start=2542&end=3571","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5444781-c7009286bf6cf54019909a1574603f34/thumbnail_2542000.jpg","/articles/6505088/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Staff-outlines-integrated-water-supply-planning-tied-to-Boulder-comprehensive-plan-scenarios-show-supply-adequate-under-most-futures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6505088-11a13eaa129073624986f9fa4c98cd24/orig.mp4?Expires=1770700595&Signature=RG2tEcxJwL0K7L5ILpVNPS4fUnDdll5lINIuwuq3JbqGzn64fWcFW1ESTa0c5nUInafsvq8zqi8Taw9lTF~hrciqFHsddPLaiq1oPCt1jnFTYK-Z3gVJPqk-dvGJKSy5jhRIZO5gNT5Ti-UevEN61NczKsnY9TLOpPp2Tnxk45SZ0b8jaANNd2E7UCOg5cr0T12RBqLESaTwBTXEHt9We~27gi~0SJoCj6AApNX-znw4nqfHMXkPO8cm9Q7asL6qMhh0UkNS6eoMCF74W~aWEqO5y~zBYW4TFV9DXZP7EA1ppq7gRyH7TPPepnbyW32YHRFASO8YFjNS9ykXjIfrMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City water staff told the Water Resources Advisory Board on July 21 that the Boulder comprehensive-plan update — and the integrated water supply planning that will follow it — should together guide long-term decisions about how land use and water supply align through 2050.

Crystal Mori, senior engineer in Water Resources, led a presentation showing four future scenarios (optimistic, continuing trends, stressed and severe) that were run through the city’s water-supply models to test reliability under climate, Colorado River and demand uncertainties. Mori said staff will develop a formal integrated water supply plan after the comprehensive-plan update is complete; that plan will combine supply, demand and conservation options and evaluate trade-offs among affordability, environmental effects and level of service.

Mori and other staff summarized key findings: under three of the four scenarios, Boulder has sufficient municipal supply to meet projected demand to 2050 when the city’s current demand projections and planned conservation are included. In the severe scenario — described as an extreme warming case with substantial streamflow declines — model runs showed material risks to supplies that would require more aggressive measures.

Staff framed the analysis within the Colorado Water Plan’s approach and the South Platte Basin projection, which the memo noted estimates a supply gap across scenarios of 500,000 to 800,000 acre-feet per year by 2050 for the entire basin (a statewide planning context, not a direct Boulder-only shortfall). Mori told the board that modeled streamflow changes across scenarios ranged from roughly a 10% increase in an optimistic case to about a 30% decrease in the most severe case, and that demand-side drivers include projected increases in irrigation needs as temperatures rise.

On conservation and demand management, staff said existing gains are primarily indoor-efficiency driven and that larger future savings would require more structural actions such as landscape conversions from turf to water-wise plantings, system capital investments to reduce distribution losses, and expanded metering and customer outreach. Staff provided a rough current split of water use as about 55% outdoor and 45% indoor and said more aggressive conservation efforts (for example, large-scale landscape conversions and real-time metering) would require significant capital investment and sustained programs.

Staff also discussed how the comprehensive plan’s land-use decisions matter to utility planning: changes in allowed land use (for example, industrial to higher-density residential) affect timing, location and magnitude of future water demand and therefore infrastructure needs. The comprehensive-plan update began late in 2024; staff said planning-team briefings to the board are scheduled in September and staff expect to return again in the first quarter of 2026 as the comp-plan process identifies preferred directions and population projections to feed the integrated water supply plan.

Board members and consultants on the call commended the scenario approach and suggested complementary analyses such as stress tests (which identify how much change the system can tolerate) and more emphasis on variability as well as long-term mean changes. Mori and staff acknowledged those suggestions and said more detailed analysis would be part of the integrated water-supply-plan scope once the comprehensive-plan policy direction is set.

","Utilities staff presented four future scenarios to inform an integrated water supply plan and the city’s comprehensive-plan update, finding Boulder’s municipal supply is broadly robust under three of four modeled scenarios but that more extreme climate impacts could create significant risk.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Water Resources Advisory Board backs 2026 CIP, recommends 8% water, 6% wastewater, 5% stormwater rate increases

Community member raises water-diversion and retrofit concerns; staff corrects project cost and notes litigation

Staff outlines integrated water-supply planning tied to Boulder comprehensive plan; scenarios show supply adequate under most futures