Manitou Springs looking into new technology to help filter sediment out of French Creek faster

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The City of Manitou Spring is looking into a new way to treat its water after recent rainfall led to the city's water source having heavy sediment buildup.

According to the city, it's only able to filter and treat limited water from the French Creek due to the heavy rainfall.

KRDO obtained footage showing what French Creek typically looks like versus now due to the heavy sediment buildup.

Currently, the Mesa Storage Tank hasn't been able to be filled to adequate levels. Due to this, residents and visitors are urged to conserve water until Thursday, May 18.

The city's Public Information Officer, Alex Trefry, said it's a slow process to filter out the sediment from the water. According to Trefry, this has been a problem and the city is exploring options to find ways to make the process more efficient.

Trefry said the city is not out of water or anywhere near that point, but it is does utilize bringing water through neighboring communities. According to Trefry, Manitou Springs has agreements with Colorado Springs Utilities to deliver water from Fry-Ark, if needed.

During the most recent string of storms, from May 11 to May 15, the city requested to deliver 5.9 acre-feet of water from Fry-Ark out of an abundance of caution.

The city did have to pay a fee for the request, with the current rate going at $778.67 per acre-foot. That means Manitou Springs paid a little more than $4,500 to deliver the water.

While bringing in water is a solution, the city said is preparing for nearly $11 million worth of water improvements expected to happen over the next five years.

The money for this comes from the “Water Enterprise Fund.”

Trefry said some more rain is likely to hit again in the next couple of days but it's too early to tell if they will extend the water conservation period.

"The difference this time on why we're asking folks to conserve water is because it happened recently and we're expecting it to happen again, " said Trefry.

For now, the City is offering these tips to help conserve water: 

• Turn off sprinklers
• Do not wash sidewalks, cars, etc. with water
• Avoid doing partial loads of laundry, dishwashing, etc.

If you have any additional questions or concerns you can contact the Public Information Center at (719)-685-5481.