The Arkansas Valley Conduit is getting another federal infusion of cash.
Once complete, the Arkansas Valley Conduit will serve dozens of southeastern Colorado communities dealing with contaminated groundwater, mostly through natural radioactive elements. The pipeline is designed to eventually run about 130 miles from Pueblo Reservoir to Lamar. Construction work on the project broke ground in 2023 and is currently underway. It will eventually deliver safe drinking water to about 50,000 people, many in rural areas.
The Bureau of Reclamation on Wednesday announced another $250 million coming in from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the project. This new funding, combined with previous federal, state and grant money, brings the total investment for the pipeline to more than $700 million dollars. That’s about half of the estimated $1.3 billion final cost for the project, an amount that has doubled since 2020.
Previous federal funding covered the installation of the first section of pipe, according to the Southeastern Water Conservancy District, the project’s local sponsor.
“I still almost can’t believe it’s happening, but I drive by and can see it with my own eyes,” district President Bill Long said in a written statement. “There are so many people who have worked so hard who would be so proud to see it being built. This money will get us to the area that has seen the most problems.”
Colorado’s senators welcomed the latest round of federal funds for the project. Senator John Hickenlooper said this helps deliver on promises to rural communities. Senator Michael Bennet also praised the bipartisan infrastructure law, which both Democratic senators supported, saying investments from the law, “will be critical to get this project across the finish line.”
“It’s huge,” said Hickenlooper. “When the commissioner called me last week and said we can’t announce it yet, but we’re going to get you over the top on this thing. It was unbelievable. It’s just going to change people’s lives in ways we can’t even imagine.”
It could be “famous last words,” Hickenlooper said, but he is hopeful this money “will get this thing pretty damn close to finished.”
The pipeline is part of the Arkansas Fryingpan Project authorized by the federal government in 1962, which brings water from the Colorado River Basin to the Arkansas River Basin and includes infrastructure like tunnels and the dam at Lake Pueblo.
This new money is a substantial share of $514 million in funds announced in Pueblo on Wednesday by the Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Camille Calimlim Touton, for five water storage and conveyance projects in the West.
