County highlights $40 million ARPA investment connecting Lower Valley neighborhoods to sewer service

El Paso County officials said Monday that construction has started on projects that will connect three Lower Valley neighborhoods to the Lower Valley Water District sewer system, funded with about $40 million of county American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations.

County representatives said the projects respond to decades‑old septic‑system failures and groundwater contamination risks. Officials told the court that many on‑site systems are more than 30 years old and have increasingly posed health and environmental concerns. County staff said ARPA funding expedited work that otherwise could have taken up to 15 years to assemble and fund through traditional sources.

Speakers at multiple points during the meeting described the work as the “first time” sewer and water connections for some communities and said construction would take roughly six to eight months. County leaders credited community advocacy and coordination with the Lower Valley Water District for enabling the projects to proceed after bids came back higher than earlier estimates and the court committed additional funds to close the gap.

No formal vote was recorded on Monday to reallocate funds because commissioners said the ARPA investment had already been programmed; the discussion before the court was an informational update and community celebration of the groundbreaking. County staff said they will provide construction timelines and further budget details as the projects move into active construction and will return to commissioners if additional funding approvals are required.