Aurora committee debates water supply limits, large users and potential conditions for Niagara expansion

Aurora staff told the committee they will bring a two‑part briefing next month on the city’s water supplies and proposed growth policy, and committee members discussed how to respond to recent expansion requests from large industrial water users including Niagara and Gaylord.

Staff said part one will describe the current status of water supplies — including the Colorado River and South Platte basins — and part two will focus on policy for "growing intentionally," including how to handle extraterritorial annexations and large‑user requests. "Part 1 will probably take about half an hour. Part 2 might go a little bit longer," a staff member said.

The committee spent substantial time on Niagara, a bottled‑water company that recently added production capacity and requested permission to expand further. Marshall (staff) said Niagara increased production by adding equipment and a second bottling line and that the higher demand fit within the facility’s existing meter, which is why staff learned of the change only after water use rose. "They increased their ability well, their water…