Our interview with Mr. Jim Lochhead, chief executive officer and manager of Denver Water, is appropriately titled, “Leading the Stewardship of Denver’s Water Resources,” and sets a perfect theme for this issue of Municipal Water Leader magazine. Jim and the 1,100 employees of Denver Water are doing extraordinary things to provide and safeguard their water supply that the majority of the public is unaware. Blessed with a largely gravity flow system, Denver Water produces more energy than it consumes from its numerous hydroelectric power plants and passes the savings on to the ratepayers. With its 4,000-square-mile watershed, Denver Water has a large footprint and is very active in forest management. Denver Water’s priorities of long-term planning, efficiency, and customer service are evident in their high customer satisfaction numbers.
Colorado Springs Utilities’ Southern Delivery System is another great example of stewardship. Our article discusses the results of solid planning, local collaboration, and the importance of using the right materials, namely, a water transmission pipe system that is corrosion protected and engineered to last 100 years.
Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, continues the theme of water stewardship and planning for the future by informing our readers about his committee’s efforts on the upcoming Water Resources Development Act legislation. A firm believer in the importance of infrastructure, Chairman Shuster has made the Water Resources Development Act a top priority for his committee.
Mr. Eric Wilkinson, general manager of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District has a tremendous mind for details. I recently heard him give an off-the-cuff introduction of former Senator Hank Brown (R-CO) at the annual conference of the National Water Resources Association, and I was so impressed by his documentaryquality description of Senator Brown’s full career and multiple achievements. Eric’s interview for this magazine is another example of his abilities. I especially enjoyed his history on the 13.1-mile-long Alva B. Adams tunnel that was bored in the 1940s.
Mr. Scott Potter, president of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, is an exceptionally educated and experienced individual and a recognized leader in the treated water community. He provides an excellent description of the association and its mission.
Mr. Dick Doyle, president and chief executive officer of the Vinyl Institute discusses the advantages of noncorrosive pipe materials and the cost savings that may be realized by water agencies.
Finally, Mr. Bo Bonn and Mr. Bill Christopherson discuss their efforts to help a small town in Nebraska to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s arsenic rule. By modifying an existing well to only access high-quality water, their technology offers a much-needed low-cost alternative to treatment. Such technology has national implication and will allow small towns and other municipalities to make better use of their limited budgets.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue of Municipal Water Leader magazine and learning about some impressive people who are leading the stewardship of water.
Kris Polly is editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader and Irrigation Leader magazines. He is also president of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations, marketing, and publishing company he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at Kris.Polly@wateretrategies.com