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Discussions about cross connecting the Orchard City and Coalby Domestic Water systems are on the table again.

During a report from the town trustee water committee on Feb. 13, Trustee Jimmie Boyd reported that Coalby representatives have approached the town about a possible "emergency backup connection" between the two water systems.

Boyd explained that according to discussions held during a recent water committee meeting, Coalby representatives said they have a two-inch line that crosses the town's new pressurized West Main transmission line. If a secure cross connection could be completed there, it would have the ability to serve 95 percent of Coalby's taps in an emergency, such as a line break or a treatment plant event. The private Coalby Domestic company currently has 132 taps, with 113 of them active.

Boyd explained that the connection would be intended for emergency use. Coalby has offered to pay costs of the connection and has told the town "that they have the money," Boyd reported.

Orchard City trustees saw a number of issues that would need to be resolved for a cross connection armament and project to move forward. Mayor Don Suppes named a few of them: The cross connection would have to include a certified backflow preventer to the town's specifications. It would be intended for emergency use only, and an "emergency" would have to be defined in any agreement.

Also, issues of line flushing would have to be worked out. Water rates need to be established, and there may also be other issues to deal with, board members noted.

Trustee Craig Fuller recalled the time ten years ago when the town had been asked to take over the Coalby System.The last time there were serious talks about joining the two systems that draw source water from the Ward Creek drainage was in 2002-03. Suppes noted that the idea has been brought up at other times also.

A decade ago the Coalby system was facing drought supply problems and expensive compliance issues from state health department's drinking water regulations. Coalby at that time wanted to connect its domestic service through Orchard City's treatment plant.

Those discussions resulted in a "no deal" decision from the town, and Coalby has since constructed and upgraded its own treatment plan that is compliant with health department regulations.

The Grand Mesa Water Conservancy District has supported the concept of cross connection, and even of merging elements of the four domestic water supplies in the Surface/Ward creek drainages if possible.

There is a cross connection that has long existed between the Town of Cedaredge and the Upper Surface Creek Domestic (USCD) system. That connection is also for emergency use and dates back to the time when the USCD treated its raw water supplies at the Cedaredge treatment plant, of which it is still part owner. The private USCD has since constructed its own treatment plant and takes its supplies at higher elevation from Surface Creek.

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