Arapahoe County staff present draft water‑supply element, recommend production factors tied to modern modeling

County planning staff presented a draft Water Supply Element to the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners, saying the chapter is being prepared to meet legislative requirements and to incorporate the 2024 Arapahoe County Water Supply Study. "Today, we're going to talk to you about our water element that will be added to the comprehensive plan," an introducing staff member said, framing the session as an information briefing ahead of public hearings.

Staff described technical findings from Petra groundwater modeling that indicate significantly less available water in Denver Basin aquifers than older mid‑1980s models suggested and proposed production factors for use in development review. Presenters said adopting modern production factors and emphasizing conservation could lower projected water demand — staff cited modeling that suggested demand numbers "could decrease by up to 12% based on using water conservation." The draft chapter organizes goals, policies and strategies into seven sections and staff said the document will go through planning‑commission and board public hearings on Oct. 20 and Nov. 24, respectively, with implementation and code changes to follow in the Land Development Code update work program.