The Weld County city of Evans has become the latest member to back out of the $2.7 billion, two-dam Northern Integrated Supply Project, following departures of two other cities from the decades-long effort to bring drinking water to high-growth areas of northern Colorado.
Before voting Oct. 7 to leave Northern Water’s NISP project, the Evans City Council heard staff reports of frequent 20% annual increases in project costs, including far higher than expected prices for moving U.S. 287 to make way for the Glade reservoir northwest of Fort Collins.
“We fully acknowledge the complexity of this project; however, the escalating costs of the project are of great concern to the City Council. The unfortunate reality is the costs have grown beyond what is sustainable for our community, potentially putting an unacceptable burden on Evans’ water utility ratepayers,” Evans City Manager Cody Sims said, in an email Thursday…