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Granby takes lead in seeking grant to replace Moraine Park water system

Tonya Bina
tbina@skyhidailynews.com
Granby, CO Colorado

The Town of Granby is aiding the community of Moraine Park by seeking a state loan to replace Moraine’s aging water system.

The 52-unit neighborhood, surrounded mostly by incorporated Granby, has long used a water system that, although affordable to consumers, often needs patching and repair.

Residents of Moraine Park were under a boil order for a day recently as yet another leak caused operators to shut down the system. A boil order was in place temporarily as a cautionary measure due to a loss of pressure in the system.



“The system was built using water pipes not approved, with no valves to isolate specific areas,” said Granby Town Manager Wally Baird.

Parts of the water system are believed to travel through residents’ yards, he said, making it difficult to know for certain the condition of pipes throughout the system.



The water system, which is older than 60 years, is being operated under the estate of Paul Geisendorfer, who now resides in a nursing home in Colorado Springs, according to Baird. A local water-system operator and Denver company have been contracted to oversee operations.

The town of Granby has gotten involved by acting as the “sponsoring agency,” working with the state and applying for the grant needed to replace the system, which with new meters could cost an estimated $700,000.

The town already received funding for the preliminary engineering report and to conduct a community survey for the state’s assessment of need based on Moraine residents’ economic status. Moraine Park residents should expect surveyors in the neighborhood this month.

This assistance to Moraine Park, which is technically in Grand County, is not costing the town of Granby anything but the manager’s time, Baird said, who added he reserves Moraine work for after Granby work is done.

The loan with a forgiven principal to replace the Moraine system would come from federal funds supplied to the Colorado Water Resources Development and Power Authority, which helps disadvantaged communities with the cost of utilities, administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The project would involve installing all new water lines in the public rights of way of the neighborhood, Baird said, with service lines leading to each unit.

Since the system would remain independent and would not be owned by the town of Granby, the community would need to then make a decision about how the system would be operated, either through a newly formed water district or perhaps through the town, which could maintain the system and bill residents for Moraine water usage.

Tonya Bina can be reached at 970-887-3334 ext. 19603


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