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Thornton can start building a segment of a water pipeline in Weld County, even though the Weld County Board of Commissioners told the city “no” two months ago.
On Tuesday night, Thornton City Council unanimously approved a resolution that overrides Weld County’s denial of a permit to build a segment of the Thornton Water Project, and to authorize commencement of the pipeline’s construction.
The entire Thornton Water Project is 74 miles long and it will deliver water from a reservoir near Fort Collins, nearly doubling the city’s current water supply. Twelve miles of the pipeline will run through Larimer County, 34 miles through Weld County, and five miles through Adams County. The rest of the pipeline will go in municipalities throughout those three counties.
“Thornton has followed all the processes, regulations required in every jurisdiction that our project impacts,” said Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann at a June 29 meeting. “But at the end of the day, we have to use every option that we can to make sure that the pipeline is constructed, and the water arrives here in Thornton.”
The council discussed the resolution very little before approving it at Tuesday’s meeting. Though council’s vote for approval was expected, Weld County residents who were at the meeting protested.