All of the above

Castle Rock's innovative water supply strategy uses every way to keep water flowing

How do we know Castle Rock has enough water? Because Colorado got a wake-up call in 2002.

In the early 2000s, Colorado had one of the worst droughts in history, which was heightened by a major growth spurt, and the state could no longer take water for granted. Castle Rock started working on its first Water Resources Strategic Master Plan to identify available renewable water, costs, partnership opportunities and long-term plans. Analysis determined there was not one simple answer. Castle Rock Water decided on an “all of the above” strategy to ensure sustainability.

The department has made huge strides in executing on plans — which incorporate various population levels, drought considerations and demand fluctuations. It now has a diversified portfolio of surface water, deep underground aquifers, imported water, reuse water, conservation and storage.

Aquifers

Like other south metro communities, Castle Rock previously relied solely on water from deep underground aquifers that take decades, or even centuries, to recharge. So, it became the Town’s goal to transition its primary supply to renewable water, which comes from rain and snow.

Renewable Water

The construction of the Plum Creek Water Purification Facility in 2013 allowed the community to use its primary renewable supply, East Plum Creek. On a typical winter day, when customers are only using water indoors, surface water diversions can pump enough water to supply the Town. To fulfill the demand for summer irrigation, additional water sources are needed.

35%

Imported Water

75% amount of renewable water used in Town in 2022 the goal amount of renewable water to be used in Town by 2050

In 2018, Castle Rock began importing water from WISE, a regional partnership with water supplied from Aurora and Denver. Future opportunities for importing water from northern sources such as Weld County are currently in development. However, imported water is costly to pump from long distances.

Reuse Water

In 2021, Castle Rock installed advanced treatment to purify reuse water at Plum Creek Water Purification Facility. Instead of sending reuse water downstream for other communities to use, it is pumped back to the water facility to be purified to drinking water quality. This supply will constitute one-third of the community’s water supply once the Town is fully built out and is available despite drought or growth.

Water Storage

While storage is not a water source, it is an important part of long-term planning. Renewable water tends to be most available in the winter and spring, when demand is low, so storage facilities are needed. Castle Rock Water has storage in the nearby Chatfield and Rueter-Hess reservoirs and is constructing three smaller reservoirs to access when needed. Additionally, Castle Rock has several groundwater wells, with the ability to pump treated water back into the aquifer. Aquifer storage and recovery is beneficial, as it eliminates losses due to evaporation, which occur in surface reservoirs.

The Best Solution

The best, hidden water supply source is conservation! The less water our community uses now, the less that has to be purchased in the future. Currently, a single person in Castle Rock uses about 115 gallons daily (on an annual average). The goal is to reduce this to 100 gallons per person per day. Using less water for outdoor irrigation on the landscape is the easiest, most effective conservation measure.

Traffic management tools carefully selected to keep travelers safe

Driving around Town, you’ll encounter traffic signs and systems that help guide you. A stop sign. A traffic signal. When the light turns from red to green, you know how fast you can go by following the posted speed limit. Each traffic-management tool is a piece of a larger network that helps build safe and efficient roadways. How does the Public Works Department determine how the pieces fit together?

It’s a collaborative effort. Traffic engineering studies are essential to determine what kind of traffic-management tool is right for the job. When it comes to transportation, the Town’s plan for the future is visualized in the Transportation Master Plan. Then, when possible, Public Works will incorporate public feedback to help select options that best fit our community’s values of high safety, low downtime, reliability, lowest life-cycle cost and low environmental impact.

Road widening

In the Town’s Transportation Master Plan, road widening is prioritized based on forecasted traffic levels and the number of motorists on the road. The ongoing widening work on Plum Creek Parkway and Ridge Road are capacity projects included in the Transportation Master Plan and are both anticipated to be completed by the end of the year. Read the Transportation Master Plan at CRgov.com/TMP.

Traffic signals are very inefficient during the majority of a typical day. Installing a traffic signal is not always the safest option. Traffic engineers look to traffic signals only after all other tools are considered. In fact, the crash rate at an intersection often goes up — sometimes more than twice as much — after a signal is installed.

Traffic signals

The timing of roadway widening is important.

If a road is widened too late, traffic congestion worsens. But, if a road is widened too early, motorists are naturally more inclined to speed on a wide-open road, leading to unsafe driving conditions and, sometimes, street racing. Town maintenance costs also increase to maintain infrastructure not yet needed by the community.

Traffic signals are installed after a traffic engineering study determines the best location and operation mode. There are national and state standards for specific elements that must be reviewed before installation. As outlined in the Transportation Master Plan, the Town will begin work this year on the “Four Corners” intersection project, which aims to improve safety, signal timing and traffic flow at the intersection of Founders Parkway, Fifth Street, State Highway 86 and Ridge Road.

Speed limits

Traffic engineering surveys consider factors like road conditions, access, visibility, crash records and the prevailing speed of traffic. The most appropriate speed limits are set at or below the speed at which 85% of drivers typically drive. This promotes safer driving by encouraging uniform traffic flow and reducing impatience, passing, tailgating and collisions.

Arbitrarily lowering the speed limit does not actually slow down drivers, since their behavior is primarily influenced by their perceived comfort. Traffic studies have routinely shown that changing the speed limit has minimal impact on driver behavior. If a reasonable speed limit is posted, a greater percentage of drivers will follow it, and safety improves.

"We are guided by the things that the community values most in order to most effectively develop and manage their transportation assets. Our Traffic Engineering Division helps us achieve this vision through the continual monitoring of our roadways and making adjustments when the studies support it.”

— Public Works Director Dan Sailer