Case Study: Water and Wastewater Utilities Planning for Climate Change FORT COLLINS UTILITIES, COLORADO Background Fort Collins Utilities (FCU) provides drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 131,000 residential customers and various large water users in Fort Collins, Colorado. FCU also sells excess raw water to large agricultural users. Average daily production for the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is 25 million gallons per day (MGD); over 50 MGD is possible in the summer months. FCU is served by two main surface water sources: the Cache la Poudre River and Horsetooth Reservoir. Climate Threats FCU is concerned with climate change threats that would present water quantity and quality issues for their service area. FCU is especially concerned about water quality issues caused by flooding, particularly flash flooding on burned landscapes following wildfires. Following the 2012 High Park Fire and a subsequent flash flood, FCU made a decision to shut down the Poudre River intake for three months due to uncertainty concerning changes to water quality from high turbidity and sedimentation events. FCU considered how climate change may increase the severity or frequency of these threats, and assessed the impacts of a worst case scenario where both the Poudre River and Horsetooth Reservoir sources would be compromised simultaneously from a water quality event following a wildfire. Planning Process FCU engaged in a series of webinars and an in-person meeting to conduct a climate change risk assessment using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT). The assessment brought together individuals from Fort Collins and EPA staff to think critically about potential climate impacts, priority assets and possible adaptation options. FCU has conducted previous climate change planning for their utility and with other city organizations, and used the CREAT assessment to build on and complement existing efforts. Adaptation Measures For this assessment, FCU assessed the consequences from a wildfire threat to the Cache La Poudre River and Horsetooth Reservoir. FCU developed four adaptation plans in CREAT: existing adaptation measures are grouped into a "Current Measures" adaptation plan, while three other adaptation plans-All Potential Wildfire Measures, Source Watershed Protection and Management, and Water Treatment Plant Improvements-contain adaptation measures that would provide additional protection to FCU's assets from climate change threats in the future. Cost data for the potential adaptation plans were drawn from FCU's Master Plan. FCU has requested funding to implement or further investigate adaptation options that will protect utility assets and operations from climate change-related impacts, including water quantity and quality issues driven by drought, wildfire, and floods. Increasing raw water storage is a priority adaptation option for FCU, as it has dual benefit to reduce consequences from both water quantity and quality issues. See the table below for all potential adaptive measures that were considered. Fort Collins Utilities Case Study — Page 1 *>EPA ------- Case Study: Water and Wastewater Utilities Planning for Climate Change TYPE POTENTIAL ADAPTIVE MEASURES Source Watershed Management and Protection Improve the partnership with the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed to reduce the consequences from water quality threat and prioritize forest management Improve early warning system for detecting high turbidity in water Partnership with the U.S. Forest Service-Arapaho Roosevelt for improved watershed protection Water Treatment Plant Improvements Additional 10 million gallon (MG) finished water storage Enhance treatment capabilities to treat the lower quality Poudre River source All Potential Wildfire Measures Improve the partnership with the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed to reduce the consequences from water quality threat and prioritize forest management Improve early warning system for detecting high turbidity in water Partnership with the U.S. Forest Service - Arapaho Roosevelt for improved watershed protection Additional 10 MG finished water storage Enhance treatment capabilities to treat the lower quality Poudre River source Additional 8,100 acre-feet raw water storage Contact Information For more information regarding Fort Collins Utilities' climate adaptation planning, contact Donnie Dustin at ddustin@fcqov.com. Fort Collins Utilities Case Study — Page 2 vvEPA Office of Water (4608T) EPA 800-S-16-005 January 2017 ------- |