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The Southern Delivery System (SDS) is a regional project to bring water from the Arkansas River to Colorado Springs, Fountain and Security and Pueblo West. Pueblo West’s ability to benefit from SDS depends on approval of a pipeline that draws water directly from Pueblo Reservoir through a pipeline beginning at Pueblo Dam. We already own the rights to the water. SDS is needed to make it available for us to use.

The proposed action (Alternative 2), Colorado Springs’ preferred alternative, would cost about $1.1 billion to construct. This alternative costs less to build and operate than all the other alternatives under consideration. Water users in Colorado Springs, Security, Fountain and Pueblo West – who benefit from SDS – will pay for it. The project cost will be included in future cost of service studies to ensure that all users are treated as fairly as possible and no single group or groups are called on to bear an unreasonable portion of the cost. We estimate the cost distribution to be similar to what it is today. More information about SDS costs and water rates.

As proposed, SDS will use water stored in Pueblo Reservoir. The reservoir is part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project built and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which means the Bureau is required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) assessing the environmental impacts of SDS.

The Bureau published a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project on February 29, 2008, and accepted public comments through June 13, 2008. The Bureau will review the comments and issue a Final Environmental Impact Statement, expected in late 2008. The Bureau will then issue a Record of Decision, expected in early 2009.

The EIS considers seven alternatives – including a No Action Alternative required by NEPA. In this case, No Action doesn’t mean there will be no SDS. It means it would have to be built without using water from Pueblo Reservoir or any other resources managed by the Bureau.

Our proposed action among the seven alternatives is an underground pipeline running from the dam at Pueblo Reservoir to a new storage reservoir east of Colorado Springs. Since it’s the closest and most direct route, it is the most economical and most reliable alternative.