A lot of things have changed in Durango since 1982 – the town is far more spread out, and the population has grown by more than 50 percent.
One thing that hasn’t changed: The city of Durango’s stormwater master plan.
At a study session Tuesday, the Durango City Council heard from the Community Development Department about how tightening federal and state regulations, an aging infrastructure and the increased size of the area the system is handling after major rains calls for an updated master plan and significant improvements all over the city.
“I call it the stepchild or hidden utility,” said Greg Hoch, director of the department. “Everyone knows water, sewage treatment and streets, but stormwater management is only a big deal when we have a storm, and it’s only when we have a big storm that people understand how important the utility is.”
Keith Dougherty, a civil engineer with the Engineering Department, said there are two basic issues with stormwater.
“One is quality-related, and new regulations will affect the way we’re operating, requiring more public outreach and education, more record keeping and reporting,” he said. “The other is quantity, and you may have noticed we had an unseasonably wet spring. We’ve received 13 complaints recently about problems with city structures.”
Among the areas that have experienced at least some stormwater flooding in the last 10 months are 13th Street and Main Avenue, 22nd Street and Main, 32nd Street, 34th and Main and Horse Gulch.
Before much else happens, the plan needs to be updated, Hoch said. Staff members are evaluating a proposed budget to be discussed as the city begins budget talks for 2016 during the coming months.
“I asked Keith what the projects would have cost in 1982 when the stormwater master plan was adopted, and he said $8 million,” Hoch said. “I asked him what they would cost now, and he said $30 million.”
But no budget can be estimated without the updated master plan, he said. It’s possible some grant money will be available from the state, and the city would plan to implement any upgrades in a phased approach.
abutler@durangoherald.com
