Loveland Locks in $95M for Water and Wastewater Overhaul

The City of Loveland Utilities secured $95 million in fixed-interest bonds to fund a decade-long overhaul of aging water and wastewater systems, locking in borrowing costs now to avoid inflation and spread capital expenses across current and future ratepayers.

Water projects budgeted at $45 million starting in 2025 include water main replacements, lead service line removal, and operations facility upgrades. Wastewater projects totaling $77.5 million through 2027 will focus largely on Water Reclamation Facility capacity and compliance improvements.

"By securing fixed-interest funding, we avoid rising inflation and emergency repair costs, and spread capital costs across current and future users," the city stated in its bond announcement.

As separate enterprises, Loveland's utilities recover costs through customer rates rather than taxes. By issuing tax-exempt, fixed-interest bonds, the city locks in borrowing costs and repays the investment over time.

Loveland is replacing cast-iron pipes with corrosion-resistant PVC in neighborhoods across the city, with immediate work at the Taft Avenue and Highway 34 intersection and downtown 4th Street. A new 3.5 million-gallon water storage tank on 43rd Street supplements an existing 4.5 million-gallon tank at the same site. The expansion provides backup supply during peak demand or emergencies.

Loveland's drone operations program inspected nearly half the city's utility poles in 2025, using thermal imaging to detect overheating circuits and loose hardware before outages occur. The program prevented nearly one million outage minutes, part of the city's broader infrastructure modernization effort.