The Dolores Town Board received updates on Phase Two of a six-phase waterline replacement project, highlighting the likelihood of a 3% to 5% water rate increase for next year amid uncertainties around funding for the project.
Plans for Phase 2 are estimated to be 60% done, with construction possibly beginning in April of next year, according to Catherine Carella, a civil engineer with SGM, a Western Slope firm working on the project.
Slated for an estimated cost of $4.5 million, Phase 2 alone is for the western side of Dolores, from B Street to Sixth Street.
Phase 1 was completed in 2020, replacing 1,200 feet of pipeline across U.S. Highway 145, according to a map presented by Carella.
Possible funding for the project includes a State Revolving Fund loan, $600,000 from the Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs, or DOLA, as well as an EPA community grant of $750,000 pledged by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennett.
However, Carella said that DOLA has faced budget cuts over the past years and that Dolores will not know if the town will receive the money “for some time.”
Although the town is proceeding on the basis that the EPA money will come through, some uncertainty was expressed.
“As far as we know, that budget hasn’t been cut,” Carella said of the grant. “We are assuming that’s been earmarked and they’re going to give it to us.”
Whatever the main sources of funding, Dolores residents could see slight increases in their water bill down the road.
“Next year and the year after, we’re really recommending small increases – 3% to 5% annually – which is what you should be doing anyway for inflation,” Carella said to the Town Board. “As far as I know, there’s nothing on the books that you’re going to do it. So that’s what needs to happen.”
In January of this year, Dolores residents began paying an additional $10 on their water bill to help with the replacement project.
At that time a flyer was posted in town explaining some details of the project and pointing out that existing pipes are 74 years old. The flyer also said that with the infrastructure upgrades there will be fewer outages, fewer leaks and better fire flow.
The entire six-phase water replacement project was last estimated to take about 20 years and roughly $14 million, said Dolores Town Manager Leigh Reeves.
Cameryn Cass contributed to reporting for this article.
