Fish Creek Treatment Plant

Every Water Drop Count!


Water is life especially when you live in a place like the Yampa Valley, located high in the semi-arid Colorado Rocky Mountains. As you know, our state and much of the western United States, has been under drought conditions for many years, further emphasizing our commitment to conserve every drop possible. 

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Fish Creek Falls Overview

Fish Creek Treatment Plant Upgrade

IMG_4344With that in mind, Mt. Werner Water & Sanitation District and the City of Steamboat Springs have identified multiple plant upgrades that will ensure we make the most of our liquid lifeblood for decades to come. On September 15, the first of these projects will begin and requires a full shutdown of the Fish Creek Treatment Plant. 

During that time, water will be solely supplied via the Yampa Wells Treatment Plant until the Fish Creek Plant is back online in mid-November. Potable water from Fish Creek and the Yampa River is treated the same and completely safe for consumption.

This will be the first time our water system has relied exclusively on the wells. In addition, as identified in our preparedness plan, the community would rely on this strategy should the Fish Creek watershed be impacted by a wildfire, and this shut down will provide a good test. Both agencies have been preparing for this project for several months and have plans in place to ensure water delivery to customers is not interrupted.

Shut Off Irrigation & Conserve Water

WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE to ensure efficient operations while drawing water Sprinklerfrom the wells.

  • All Skyline Tank Zone customers are required to turn off outdoor potable water irrigation by Sept 15
  • It is critical all other water users do the same - shut off outdoor irrigation.
  • The city will be shutting off all non-critical irrigation and will be scaling back watering for critical systems that cannot be turned off completely. 

Irrigation water alone drains 3 to 4 million gallons per day, sometimes higher than the wells can produce in one day. Since the average American uses 140 to 170 gallons of water per day, each of us has a large part to play. 

Your extra efforts to conserve water during this vital upgrade will provide for a smoother project. 

The Project

The upgrade has two major components:

Scan from 2022-09-02 08_13_28 AM Disinfection Improvements:

  • Erecting PVC baffle curtains between the existing structural columns of the facility's 2 Million Gallon (MG) Tank to increase the disinfection process hydraulic retention time. 
  • Relocating the chlorine residual measurement sample location to the outlet of the 2 MG Tank and providing a new sample pump to feed to the chlorine residual analyzer.
  • Adding a new access hatch to the 2 MG Tank 2MG Tank Dewatering 2022-08-31 12_59_30 PMroof and modifying the existing 2 MG Tank access hatch so that it meets CDPHE sanitary survey requirements.
  • Constructing a new combined filter effluent turbidity sample location in the Potable Water Clearwell, located within the filter building, and providing a new combined filter effluent turbidimeter and a new sample pump to feed it.

Electrical Improvements:

  • Replacing the facility's existing Electrical Gear capable of supporting current and anticipated future plant electrical loads. The new gear will include surge suppression, power monitoring capabilities[FA1]  and a transfer switch for a future standby generator.

Questions?

Michelle Carr
Distribution & Collection Manager
City of Steamboat Springs
970.871.8204
Email		Frank Alfone
General Manager
Mt. Werner Water & Sanitation District
970.879.2424
Email