Water Authority brings new water storage tank online.
From left, George Gregory, Water Authority board chair; Sarah Smith Hymes, Avon mayor pro tem; and Steve Coyer, Mountain Star Association, cut the ribbon on the newly constructed 270,000-gallon water storage tank in Avon’s Mountain Star community.
Representatives of the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority, town of Avon, and Mountain Star Association gathered Dec. 8 to mark the completion of a new water storage tank that serves the Mountain Star community.
The Water Authority put the 270,000-gallon tank into service Nov. 15, after it was completed on time and under budget during a six-month construction window.
Envisioned in 1993 – when Avon originally approved the subdivision – the tank is one of five that along with five booster pump stations comprises the potable water supply system that had to be built to deliver water from the valley floor to the high alpine development north of Avon.
The 1993 subdivision approval anticipated this tank being built at a future date when suitable U.S. Forest Service land could be obtained. The then-existing Avon Metro District agreed that it would collect tap fees from homes that were built and served by a somewhat-temporary water supply system until this storage tank could be constructed.
The Water Authority acquired the necessary Forest Service property in May 2013 as part of the complex, multi-year Eagle Valley Land Exchange agreement. With the site acquisition costs and ongoing pump station improvements, the Authority has recently spent about $2.2 million on the Mountain Star system.
Steve Coyer with the Mountain Star Association addresses the group during the Dec. 8 ribbon cutting to celebrate the newly completed water storage tank in Avon’s Mountain Star community.
Mountain Star, Avon, and Authority representatives worked together for several years to agree on funding and construction of the final storage tank, which resulted in an Implementation Agreement. The project cost estimate of $1.85 million was more than the amount of tap fees collected by Avon since 1993, so Mountain Star homeowners agreed to fund the remaining cost. The Authority committed $135,000 to upgrade to a longer-lasting, less maintenance-dependent tank. The Agreement also included a guaranteed maximum price contract and a provision that Mountain Star homeowners would receive any cost savings.
The Water Authority used an integrated project delivery method for the tank and the actual cost is projected to be $1.55 million, a savings of about $300,000. The Authority will refund this savings to Mountain Star after final accounting of the actual project costs.
At 9,380 feet, the new tank serves higher-elevation residences and benefits public safety via enhanced fire protection. While the tank provides additional water storage, the parties are committed to efficient water use with many homeowners participating in the Authority’s water demand management pilot study to establish new irrigation practices that benefit landscapes while decreasing overall water use.
Contact: Linn Brooks, General Manager: 970-476-7480
Eagle River Water & Sanitation District staff members with Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority board members and representatives of the town of Avon, Mountain Star Association, and contractors involved in developing and constructing the 270,000-gallon water storage tank in Mountain Star.
From left: Carter Keller, Jeff Snyder (Mountain Star Association), Matt Wadey (Alpine Engineering), Steve Coyer (Mountain Star board), Debbie Hoffman, Sarah Smith Hymes (Avon mayor pro tem), Norm Sproles (Aslan Construction), Diane Johnson, George Gregory (Water Authority board chair), Doug Crowl (Aslan Construction), Carol Dickman, Brian Tracy, Ben Peternell (Mountain Star board), Bob MacTaggart (Aslan Construction), Virginia Egger (town of Avon), Jason Cowles, Linn Brooks, Mick Woodworth (Water Authority board), Glen Phelps, Jen Wright (Wright and Company).
Avon town manager Virginia Egger chats with Mountain Star residents Amy Coyer and Ben Peternell on Dec. 8, 2016, at the ribbon cutting for the new water tank in Mountain Star.
