Local Environmental Engineer Explains Responsible Water Usage in Rural Development

With Elbert County growing quickly, the community is projected to need almost 3,000 new homes in the next decade. This projected growth raises concerns about how local water systems function and how best to balance additional housing with responsible water use.

Across Colorado’s Front Range, many communities draw their water from the Denver Basin aquifers. These layered groundwater systems operate differently than the surface-water sources and residential wells common throughout other parts of the state. A common concern when new developments are proposed is how it’ll affect the water supply of nearby residential wells. Colorado law is designed to ensure water withdrawals don’t exceed long-term supplies, requiring communities to plan for at least 100-years of aquifer life. Elbert County goes further by limiting annual pumping to meet an estimated 300-year useful aquifer life criterion.

Local developers drill its municipal production wells into the deeper formations of the Denver Basin aquifers — groundwater in the deeper aquifers don’t interact or affect water levels of the shallow formations. Drawing from deeper aquifers protects existing residential wells, but responsible management still depends on how that water is used above ground. Historically, groundwater has supplied both indoor needs and outdoor irrigation. In Colorado, outdoor use often accounts for over half of a household’s total water demand, placing the most strain on groundwater resources. However, the Craft Companies utilize a more efficient residential water supply system in its Elbert County developments.

For example, residential projects by Craft Companies in Elbert County incorporate dual pipe systems — potable water from the Denver Basin is treated and delivered for indoor use only. Indoor consumption accounts for 5-10% of total supply, which is relatively low. The rest of that water returns to a wastewater treatment facility, where it becomes a high-quality, reusable supply to meet the outdoor irrigation needs of the community .

Ground-up projects create a chance to design neighborhoods that use water more responsibly from the start. Dual pipe systems are one such feature, and because they’re difficult to retrofit, they work best when added during initial development.

Combining modern water reuse systems with deeper aquifers demonstrates that it’s possible to expand housing in our region without jeopardizing the groundwater system our community depends on.