El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Aug. 28 – Board considers public-private partnership financing

Tallgrass Water interested in financing the Loop
Progress report
Financial report

By James Howald

At the August meeting of the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA, or the Loop), board President Jessie Shaffer amended the agenda to add a discussion of a potential public-private partnership framework that could be used to finance the infrastructure for the water re-use project.

The board heard a progress report from Rebecca Hutchinson, a civil design engineer with Merrick and Co., who is acting as the Loop’s Workflow Manager and coordinating the work being done by the consulting and engineering companies contributing to the project. Corben Fromm, of Fromm and Co. LLC, reported on the Loop’s finances.

Tallgrass Water interested in financing the Loop

Shaffer told the board he had received an indication of interest (IOI) from Tallgrass Water, a Colorado-based company established in 2012, that funds water infrastructure projects.

Tallgrass Water uses a public-private partnership (PPP) approach. PPPs are collaborations between governments and private enterprises in which the private side provides initial funding to build a project in return for a share of the operating revenue from that project.

Shaffer emphasized signing the IOI was not a commitment to Tallgrass Water but was an agreement to negotiate exclusively with that company for a 90-day period to begin when all the Loop’s design work has reached 30% completion. The design work underway includes engineering the water treatment facility, the lift stations, and the pipelines, and expansion of the Calhan Reservoir. Shaffer said discussions had been held with Meridiam and EPCOR, two other companies that provide PPP agreements.

Shaffer recommended approving the IOI, and the board voted unanimously to move forward with Tallgrass Water.

Progress report

Hutchinson told the board that work by Burns & McDonnell on the design of the water treatment facility and the pumps and pipelines was proceeding on schedule, and a tour of a water treatment facility and pump station in Castle Rock had been scheduled for Sept. 4. Alignment of pipelines along Higby Road was being discussed with Mountain View Electric Association, and Western States Land Services LLC will begin discussions with landowners regarding easements for the pipelines in the southern portion of the Loop. Hutchinson said she had scheduled a meeting for Sept. 2 with Cherokee Metropolitan District to discuss the purchase of that district’s Sundance Pipeline. Hutchinson said four companies had responded to the Loop’s Request for Proposal to expand the capacity of the Calhan Reservoir, and two of those companies would be interviewed before making a final decision.

Financial report

Fromm told the board that invoices totaling $94,548 had been received for July, and the board authorized Fromm to pay them. He reported that the Loop had spent 7% of its $5.5 million budget for 2025.

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The next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18 at 9 a.m. Regular meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Monument Town Hall at 645 Beacon Lite Road. Workshop meetings are held the first Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Monument Town Hall. Please see loopwater.org or call 719-488-3603 to verify meeting times and locations.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Tallgrass Water interested in financing the Loop

Progress report

Financial report

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