7-50 Public Services and Utilities

(a) Applicability

• The standards in this section are applicable to all utility extensions.

(b) Consistency with Land Use Polices, County Master Plans and Utility Service Plans

• The Land Use Policies, applicable County master plans, and any applicable utility service plans, should be considered when reviewing utility extensions.

(c) No Adopted Master Plan or Utility Service Plan

• In the absence of an adopted master plan or service plan, utility extensions shall be consistent with the Land Use Policies, and the standards in this section.

(d) Sizing of Utility Lines

• Utility line extensions shall generally be designed to have adequate capacity to serve the ultimate expected build out of the property, based on applicable zoning and land use regulations.

(e) One-Time Installation

• Utility lines shall be properly designed, sized, and installed to serve the ultimate population of a service area and avoid future land disruption to upgrade undersized utility lines.

(f) Coordinate Utility Line Extensions

• The extension of a sole utility line shall be postponed until a full range of necessary services and utilities are offered, rather than increasing the size or number of areas to which some necessary services and utilities are provided and others are not.

(g) Avoid System Overloads

• The volume, nature and timing or the use of an extension shall not result in overloads on other components of the same system.

(h) State and County Standards

• Extensions shall meet applicable State and Pitkin County engineering standards.

(i) Utility Company Service Commitments

• Prior to final plat approval by the Board of County Commissioners a developer must provide written commitments from:
  1. A public or private utility company to provide power, telephone, and gas, if available as may be needed to serve a development.
  2. Each of the utilities serving a development demonstrating necessary arrangements have been made for installation of utilities.

(j) Colorado Public Utility Commission Approval

• If applicable, the Colorado Public Utility Commission shall approve extensions prior to installation.

(a) Applicability

• The standards in this section are applicable to all water supply systems and all water distribution systems.

(b) New Water Rights

1. If a proposed activity or development is not required to connect to a public water system pursuant to subsection (d) below and proposes to rely upon use of newly appropriated water rights or the change of existing water rights, adequate evidence of water rights availability shall be required. Such evidence shall demonstrate adequate water rights to meet needs for domestic water, irrigation water as applicable, and water for fire protection purposes.
2. The “Capitol Creek and Snowmass Creek” and “Crystal River and West Sopris Creek” Hydrologic Systems analysis Study Area Maps are hereby adopted. Regardless of whether a property is located in a subdivision or is a metes and bounds parcel, all applicants for building permits for dwellings shall be required to show proof of adequate water supply (in terms of both quantity and availability) for domestic and fire protection purposes, and for irrigation purposes, if applicable. Such evidence may include a well permit and pump test. In any area of the County with mapped surface or groundwater depletion/recharge issues as shown on the adopted Pitkin County Hydrologic Systems Analysis Study Area Maps, the County may require an applicant to provide additional information (e.g., a hydrogeologic analysis, pumping data from nearby wells) sufficient to demonstrate the adequacy of the property’s water supply.
3. In all cases, at the time of conceptual submission application for a subdivision or application for a subdivision exemption for fully developed lands or separation of substandard size lots, proof of adequate water rights (in the form of a final judgment and decree of water rights, including a final augmentation plan, if required, from an appropriate Water Court) shall be required.

(c) Adequate Water Provision

1. Community and Non-Community Public Water Systems
   • Public water systems (as defined in C.R.S. 25-1.5-201(1)), whether a community water system or a non-community water system (as such terms are defined in 5 C.C.R. 1003-1), shall comply with all regulations and permitting requirements for such systems established by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Division of Water Resources (State Engineer).
     • (a) For new public water systems, the following must also be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the County before approval of the development:
       1. That there is no existing public water system that will provide the service;
       2. Current ownership of, or the legal right of acquisition or use of, existing decreed water rights sufficient in quantity and dependability (including pressure) to serve the proposed use;
       3. Legal capability to accomplish any changes in the uses or points of diversion of such water rights, while maintaining the quantity and dependability necessary to serve the proposed use, without material injury to vested water rights;
       4. Adequate physical facilities, or the necessary financial and technical resources and legal commitment to construct such facilities for raw water storage, water treatment, treated water storage, distribution, and water pressure maintenance adequate to serve the proposed use; and
       5. The financial resources, or the legal commitment for the financial resources necessary to extend such service to the proposed development, and to adequately maintain and operate the system on a long-term basis.
2. Connection to Public Systems
   • If the property line of a development is located within a one-half mile (2,640 feet) radius of a public water system's service area, the County may require information for analysis of the environmental impacts of connecting to the public system versus use of an individual well(s) or other water source. Based upon the results of such analysis, the County may require that development connect to a public system if service is available, or that water be provided from a source other than the public system. In the event that connection to a public system is pursued, documentary evidence of the water or utility district’s agreement to service the new development must be provided to Community Development Department prior to submission of any building permit application.

(a) Applicability

• The standards in this section are applicable to all sewage treatment and collection systems.

(b) Connection to Public Systems Required, Where Available

• All development shall connect to a public sewage disposal system if the development is located within one-half mile (2,640 feet) of a public system's service area the applicable district is willing to serve the proposed development. For subdivisions, connection to the public sewage disposal system shall be required if any point in the subdivision is located within one-half mile of such system. In the event a site is located outside the boundaries of a public sewage disposal system service area or service is not available from the public system, a private system may be utilized.