By Elizabeth Wood West with photos courtesy of the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District

Construction has begun on the InterConnect Pipeline (ICP), a major water transmission cooperative effort between Centennial Water and Sanitation District (CWSD) and Castle Pines North Metropolitan District (CPNMD).

The ICP will connect CPNMD’s water system to a pump station and tank that will deliver CPNMD water from the South Platte River and other locations directly into the Castle Pines community’s water supply system.

CPNMD Vice President Dwight Zemp explained, “The ICP will be part of the backbone infrastructure that allows us to move vital renewable water from multiple locations throughout the mountains and the lower plains north of Denver into our community. We know water flows downhill. Unfortunately, Castle Pines is located on one of the high points south of Denver. Therefore, we must capture our renewable water at lower elevations and transport it back up to our community,” said Zemp. “In addition to supplying our community’s daily water needs, we anticipate transporting additional renewable water through the pipeline and storing it for future use in Rueter-Hess Reservoir,” Zemp said.

Sherry Eppers, community relations manager for Centennial Water & Sanitation District, echoed Zemp’s comments and added, “Renewable water is an important source of supply that offsets long-term deep well withdrawals.  It is very significant that surface water from the South Platte can be captured and delivered to this community and reduce the use of aquifer supplies. Any reduction of deep groundwater use benefits other well users in this region,” said Eppers.

Large community water providers such as CPNMD and thousands of individual well owners along the Front Range rely on water from the Denver Basin’s aquifers. The ICP will set the groundwork for future regional planning and the interconnection of water infrastructure within surrounding communities.

Zemp said, “While CPNMD’s first priority is and must be to provide a secure and sufficient water supply for our community, we are well positioned to partner with other communities as they transition to their respective renewable water planning and implementation programs. CPNMD is eager to be a good neighbor and partner with surrounding communities to develop regional renewable water solutions; however, CPNMD’s priority is to the people and ratepayers of our community,” he said.

According to Zemp, the ICP project will cost CPNMD an estimated $10.5 million dollars and will be constructed in phases. Phase 1, which began in January, is the interconnection into CWSD Tank 4-B (located off Monarch Boulevard, near Rocky Heights Middle School), followed by Phase 2’s pump station construction. Phase 3 will consist of the pipeline itself, including the tie into CPNMD’s current water distribution system, and a future extension of the ICP directly into Rueter-Hess Reservoir.

If CPNMD is able to move forward with its existing construction schedule, Zemp anticipates completing Phase 3 by the summer of 2012. For additional history on this project, go to www.CastlePinesConnection.com and type “Interconnect Pipeline” in the search tab. For information about the Castle Pines North Metropolitan District, go to www.cpnmd.org or call 303-688-8550.