Tri County Water representatives told the Ouray County Board during a Sept. 24 work session that the district’s challenge is not a lack of raw water but the ability to pump and deliver potable water uphill to higher‑elevation customers — constraints driven by pipe size, pump capacity, available electrical power and storage locations.

Tri County’s general manager said the system buys treated water wholesale and operates a mixed gravity/pumped network. Most of Ouray County sits on the pumped side; Tri County staff explained that increasing service requires not only pipeline upsizing but additional pump capacity, power upgrades and storage tanks, all of which are costly and may require special use approvals and environmental reviews.

Staff described neighborhood pressure complaints (Snowbush Lane area) as the sort of local operational issues that can stem from elevation, distribution layout and variable demand. Tri County noted that adding tanks can help fire flow but also creates water‑quality maintenance needs; tanks require flushing and cycle management to keep the water potable.

Officials discussed a long‑standing emergency interconnect with the town of Ridgeway intended to provide backup if Ridgeway’s intake is out of service; Tri County said the interconnect can supply emergency flows but does not remove the county’s need to plan for storage and power solutions locally. Tri County also recommended coordinated planning with San Miguel Power and county emergency management on generator staging or mobile generator plans to keep key pump stations operating during power outages.

Commissioners agreed to continue coordination, requested a follow‑up meeting with Tri County and the county emergency manager to map critical infrastructure and a shortlist of priority pump stations where mobile or permanent generator backups might be staged.