Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rainwater Harvesting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sterling Ranch rainwater‑harvesting pilot yields regional factors and design lessons; engineering and water‑court steps remain
Summary
A long‑running Sterling Ranch pilot used site monitoring and hydrologic analysis to produce regional factors for rainwater harvesting to pair with outdoor water‑efficiency practices; Dominion estimates ~119 acre‑feet at a Providence Park site and a project cost including pilot work of about $35,000 per acre‑foot.
State water staff and Sterling Ranch's water provider presented results from a multi‑year precipitation‑harvesting pilot and explained how the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and Division of Water Resources developed regional factors to estimate historic natural depletion (evapotranspiration and infiltration) for a given soil group and storm depth.
Kevin Reedy (CWCB) and Sarah Buckor (Division of Water Resources) summarized how the pilot compiled field‑verified data (lysimeters, weather stations) and produced a statewide accounting template that uses hydrologic soil groups, storm depth, and a 30‑day window to compute allowable daily harvest volumes that would not injure downstream water rights. The template feeds substitute‑supply and augmentation planning to be considered in water court for permanent diversion rights.
Andrea Cole, Dominion Water and Sanitation District general manager, described the Sterling Ranch project: an area‑based, dual‑purpose stormwater/harvest pond with wetland polishing that will supply outdoor uses such as pocket parks and community gardens. Dominion measured site efficiency and paired harvesting with aggressive indoor/outdoor water budgets and tiered rates at Sterling Ranch; the pilot suggests the Providence Park site could capture about 119 acre‑feet. Dominion provided a mid‑range estimated project cost around $35,000 per acre‑foot when pilot and permitting costs are included, roughly comparable to some local renewable supply costs.
Committee members pressed on water‑court needs, whether regional factors could reduce engineering costs for applicants, and the pilot's sunset (the pilot authority is set to expire in July 2026 unless extended by the Legislature). CWCB, DWR and Dominion said they intend to submit engineering, accounting and substitute supply plans to water court and to continue refining statewide regional factors that other communities could use to shorten project development timelines.
What happens next: Dominion expects to file a water‑court application with a substitute supply plan; CWCB/DWR will continue rule and template updates and encouraged stakeholders to plan for the pilot sunset.
