The mandatory water restrictions in Fort Collins are scheduled to end Nov. 10. On Nov. 8, Darin Atteberry, Fort Collins city manager, signed a declaration to end the restrictions.
The restrictions were put in place on Oct. 1 as a level IV restriction due to the Horsetooth Outlet Project. The repairs were successfully completed over the past month with the help of backup pumps and community efforts, according to the announcement.
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Fort Collins has two main water sources, the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, which includes Horsetooth Reservoir, and the Cache la Poudre River basin. The water supply comes from each source at about 50% each, according to the City of Fort Collins Utilities website.
Horsetooth Reservoir holds about 51 billion gallons of water and needed repairs to an outlet, which is the portion that brings water to residents. Northern Water and the United States Bureau of Reclamation scheduled the repair and upgrade of the Soldier Canyon Dam outlet.
“This necessary and proactive maintenance project is one way we take steps to protect our infrastructure and water supplies now and into the future,” the HOP website says.
Recent concerns for the water supply with the recent drought conditions and the Cameron Peak fire also played a role in the water reduction.
The residents managed to reduce water use by 35% within the first day of restrictions, according to the HOP page on the Fort Collins Utilities website. The community then stayed below the 15 million gallons a day request since Oct. 14 rather than the usual 35-40 million gallons.
Nicole Taylor can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @nicoletaylor_32.
