Montezuma Water Company’s long-awaited water treatment plant expansion southwest of Dolores is nearing completion after years of work, with the expanded portion of the plant expected to be operational by July.
The project started in 2019, but the groundbreaking on Road T in June of 2024 was the first major step.
When completed, the plant’s capacity will grow significantly. Currently, the plant’s capacity is four million gallons of water per day, but the expansion will allow for six million gallons per day. The new portion of the plant connects to the existing facility.
At the start of the project, MWC General Manager Steve Bowman told The Journal that the expansion was needed, as the plant has steadily been increasing by 40 to 60 new members each year.
“The expansion will allow MWC to provide more water to the community, allowing for continued growth and to align with MWC’s policy of not restricting water use to our members,” Bowman said on Tuesday.
While the plan initially consisted of an 18-month construction timeline with a tentative completion date of fall 2025, engineering, construction and supply chain delays pushed the date to this summer.
Bowman added that the expansion will not create additional jobs, as the company’s current staff of 21 employees will be able to manage the operations upon completion.
The construction includes a new raw water pump station, wet well, advanced treatment plant and high-efficiency pumps, according to the contractor Plummer in a Facebook post following the groundbreaking.
MWC is a member-owned, not-for-profit company that provides drinking water to Montezuma County and parts of Dolores and San Miguel counties. Every tap holder owns a share of the utility, which is run by a nine-member board.
“We are excited to have our new plant online so we can continue to provide the rural areas in Montezuma, Dolores and San Miguel counties safe, clean drinking water,” Bowman said.
bduran@the-journal.com
