Water for our future Beyond our daily activities and basic public health, water supports our regional economy, military operations and recreational activities – making Colorado Springs a great place to live, work and play. Communities around our state continue facing water supply challenges. No one can predict how soon we will experience another drought and water shortage here, but the time to prepare is now. Just as the early citizens of Colorado Springs overcame significant challenges to meet our current water needs, we are planning to provide the same reliable water service for our future. More than a pipeline, it's a lifeline While our customers are conservation-minded – using less water per capita than most cities in the West – conservation alone will not meet our long-term water needs. A new pipeline is needed to bring more of our water to this thriving community and our neighbors. - In the next twenty years, more than half of growth will come from within our community – children and grandchildren.
- A back-up to our current aging water delivery system will benefit current and future customers.
- Military base expansions will bring thousands of new families to our community.
- A reliable water supply is needed to support and sustain our regional economy.
As a community, we have rights to water from the Arkansas River, but we need a way to get it here – a Southern Delivery System. Hundreds of options have been studied. Several continue to be evaluated as part of a thorough environmental review process. We're prepared to build any one of these options. You can follow the review process at www.sdseis.com. Learn more about this vital project for our community's future. Southern Delivery System Progress Update A key milestone, the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) for the Southern Delivery System (SDS), is fast approaching. The SDS will be a water delivery system, selected from seven alternatives evaluated in the DEIS, that provides a cost effective, environmentally responsible and dependable way to deliver water Colorado Springs, Fountain, and Security need for the future. Pueblo West will be a project partner if the SDS pipeline originates at Pueblo Reservoir. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is preparing to release its extensive review of the seven alternatives. The DEIS is scheduled for publication at the end of February followed by a 60-day public comment period. Public informational open houses will be held in several Arkansas River basin communities during the public comment period. The DEIS provides a range of viable project options for implementation. The SDS makes sense because it: - Makes use of water rights we already own on the Arkansas River.
- Provides a cost effective solution for getting the water to Colorado Springs and its project partners.
- Provides a direct and efficient route to our water supply.
- Provides a backup delivery system for use when other parts of our system are out of service for maintenance or repair.
We encourage you to review the DEIS and provide your comments to the Bureau of Reclamation. Copies of the DEIS will be available by visiting the Bureau’s Web site at www.sdseis.com in late February. | 
