Get the Facts

SDS General Factsheet

A general factsheet on the Southern Delivery System. PDF Document

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10 Reasons why SDS is important to Colorado Springs

A factsheet listing reasons why SDS is important to Colorado Springs. PDF Document.

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10 Reasons why SDS is important to Pueblo and Pueblo West

A factsheet listing reasons why SDS is important to Pueblo and Pueblo West. PDF Document.

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TV Documentaries Focus on Drought and Infrastructure

Besides providing the water we need for our future, SDS will provide drought protection and increased reliability for Colorado Springs’ water supply. Two recent TV documentaries focus on these issues. And, while neither documentary mentions SDS, they both reinforce the need for this important project. The documentaries:

The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry? Narrated by actress Jane Seymour, this PBS documentary looks at the water-supply crisis affecting the American Southwest and its escalating economic toll. Funding came from the California Water Association, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar is among several members of Congress interviewed on the program. More information, including a four-and-one-half minute trailer highlighting the main points, is available on the Running Dry Web site. A DVD of the program is available for sale.

How does this relate to SDS? SDS is our water “savings account” for protection against drought. The additional water storage provided by SDS will let us collect more water in wet years to use in dry ones. Instead of saving for a rainy day, we’re saving water during rainy days for long stretches of sunny days.

Liquid Assets is a 90-minuted documentary produced by Penn State Public Broadcasting. It tells the story of essential infrastructure systems: water, wastewater, and stormwater. These systems — some in the ground for more than 100 years — provide a critical public health function and are essential for economic development and growth. Largely out of sight and out of mind, these aging systems have not been maintained, and some estimates suggest this is the single largest public works endeavor in our nation’s history. More information about the documentary is available on the Liquid Assets Web site. The site has a four-minute trailer that summarizes the issues explored in the documentary. And the full 90-minute show is available on DVD.

How does this relate to SDS? SDS will ensure uninterrupted water for our homes and businesses. Our water system’s aging. Having another pipeline will help ensure we have enough water when existing pipelines need maintenance or repair.

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Section 404 Permit Next Major Review For SDS

Colorado Springs Utilities is developing an application for a Section 404 permit (404 Permit) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The 404 Permit is required by the Clean Water Act when a project involves the discharge of dredged or fill materials in waters of the United States, including wetlands, unless the activity is exempt from Section 404 regulation. The 404 Permit process requires a detailed review of the project by the Corps and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and includes an opportunity for public review and comment.

A recent story in the Pueblo Chieftain suggested that a separate environmental study for the SDS may be required by the Corps. Reclamation decided not to include the separate environmental review requirements for a 404 Permit in its DEIS because there’s no requirement for combining the two, and there is a possibility that Reclamation could approve an alternative that would not require a 404 Permit. The decision was made at that time to keep the NEPA and 404 Permit processes separate, in the event that the selected SDS alternative did not require a 404 Permit. As part of their consideration of the 404 Permit application, the Corps will review the DEIS and may produce an Environmental Assessment that highlights considerations applicable to the Clean Water Act .. . . (more)

Kansas Not Impacted By SDS

The Chief Engineer for Kansas has been quoted in the media as expressing concerns about the potential impact of SDS on his state’s water supplies. Reclamation does not anticipate changes in flows in the Arkansas River below John Martin Reservoir as a result of SDS.

Firm Yield Not Best Measure of Cost for SDS

Some critics of the Southern Delivery System (SDS) are using incorrect assumptions to suggest the most expensive of the seven alternatives being considered is the best option for SDS. . . . (more)

Recycling Treated Wastewater for Drinking Water is Not a Good Alternative to SDS

Some opponents of the Southern Delivery System want Colorado Springs turn wastewater into drinking water instead of building the SDS pipeline to makes use of rights we already own to water storied in Pueblo Reservoir - an idea rejected by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation when it prepared the Draft Environment for SDS. Recycled drinking water is not a good alternative to SDS. . . . (more)