Greeley's Water Strategy Delivers Reliable Supply in Dry Year

Greeley’s reliable water supply begins high in the mountains, where reservoirs capture and store snowmelt and runoff. Snow primarily melts from March through June, before the community and agriculture need it. The storage systems help ensure a steady, dependable water supply for daily life in Greeley.

Greeley has been a leader in water storage projects for many years, especially the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) system. Greeley was one of the early users of this transmountain project, which brings water from the other side of the Continental Divide. Today, Greeley owns more C-BT units than any other municipal provider.

The C-BT system was nearly full this year, even though there was little snow in the mountains. Greeley’s ownership in this system has helped with drought preparedness, especially since the City’s other water supplies did not yield much water this year.

The City's water storage capacity and strong supply outlook led the Greeley Water & Sewer Board to declare an adequate water year in April and announced that no watering restrictions were needed for Greeley residents. Because the City has an ample water supply and places to store it, Greeley is in a stronger position to meet customer demand and maintain dependable service throughout the irrigation season. While it is important to always use water efficiently in your household, Greeley has not had to make the same restrictive water cuts that other large water providers have.  

“Reliable water service depends on more than what falls from the sky in a single year,” said Brian Von Seggern, water resource operations manager for the City of Greeley. “It comes from years of planning, smart investments and building a system that can respond to changing conditions.”

Conditions can still change quickly in Colorado, so water resources staff continuously monitor weather forecasts and supply outlooks. Greeley’s strong position today reflects decades of investment in water rights, reservoirs, treatment facilities and partnerships built to support long-term drought resilience. Greeley residents should know their water supply is secure even during times of drought.