VanTuyl Water Treatment Plant and Infrastructure Improvements Project

VanTuyl Water Treatment Plant and Infrastructure Improvements Project

Ranch POV - CopyView the May 9th VanTuyl Water Treatment Plant PowerPoint presentation here.  
You can also submit your comments and input on this project using this form. Forma en Espanol.

Like most communities in Colorado, water is a big topic in Gunnison. On the TV, radio, and in the newspaper, droughts, forest fires, floods, and water contamination are commonplace.

In fact, our neighbor to the west, the Town of Ouray, is experiencing aquifer contamination issues.

Gunnison is also not immune to contamination risk, and our outdated water system only makes us more vulnerable.

Historically, Gunnison had a surface water treatment plant, which was abandoned in 1966 due to deteriorating filters. Today, the City of Gunnison obtains its drinking water from the Gunnison River Alluvial Aquifer, which is accessed by nine groundwater wells drilled in the middle of City streets. These wells were intended as a temporary solution until a new treatment plant could be constructed. 57 years later, the City is still in need of a treatment plant, and our municipal water system still consists of those nine groundwater wells discharging directly into the water distribution system.

The City recently initiated a Water Master Plan to evaluate our water system and identify infrastructure improvements needed to meet Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulations. The improvement recommendations identified as critical were to provide a Water Treatment Plant and provide distribution upgrades.

That is why the City is planning a water treatment plant in the VanTuyl Ranch area. The City will be processing a Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendment for the Water Treatment Plant and infiltration gallery pump station locations. Conceptual architectural renderings are being created for public feedback to finalize the look and style of the facility. A PUD Amendment is a public process that will have public hearings at the Planning and Zoning Commission as well at City Council.  All public hearings will be published in the paper and posted in City Hall.
For more information, please see the FAQs below or contact Public Works Director David Gardner at dgardner@gunnisonco.gov.



Welcome to Gunnison

Gunnison is a small mountain community on the western slope of Colorado with a population of approximately 6,560 full time residents. The population increases annually with the influx of tourism and Western Colorado University students numbering an additional 2,500. The City of Gunnison is the county seat for Gunnison County. Gunnison has a rich history of ranching, agriculture, mining, tourism and outdoor recreation opportunities that bring many more people through the community.
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