Local Programming: Why Can’t We All Get Along?

Colorado water law provides impediments to creating water-efficient strategies, such as greywater reuse or non-potable systems, which makes development more expensive. Additionally, water is a commodity traded on the open market, and governments have to compete at a larger economic scale over a scarce resource. The consequences of these barriers created an environment where only places that have access to and can afford water will grow. These factors led to sweeping state legislative changes to water use that finally allow more innovativ , efficient approaches.

The City of Fort Lupton and the Town of Hudson realized that they might need each other to grow smart by creating a framework for sharing burdens and increasing efficiency in development. Through an intergovernmental agreement, Fort Lupton and Hudson have established boundaries for shared utility service areas, consistent development standards and land use principles, and clear processes for new projects. Learn how these communities established guidelines for coordinated water and sewer service, compromised on land use and development, and navigated the political process to reach a shared goal. Intergovernmental agreements can be a simple tool for reimagining sustainable land use.