The NoCo Herald

Larimer and Weld counties, Colorado

Clear, 54° in Greeley at 4:25 PM. Forecast high 59, low 37.

Greeley

Greeley working on 175 planned lead and copper replacements

·Greeley·Weld County

From the Greeley Water and Sewer Board meeting of

Phase 4 replacements are expected to finish by the end of the year. Final potholing is also expected to wrap up then, with any replacements identified in that phase planned for 2027; the loan-financed project totals $14 million.

Greeley has 175 planned replacements underway in its lead and copper project, staff told the Water and Sewer Board on Oct. 21. Phase 4 replacements were expected to be finished by the end of December.

Staff expected to finish Phase 5 potholing, the project’s final potholing phase, by the end of the year. Any replacements from that phase will be done in 2027. The loan-financed lead and copper project totals $14 million.

8th Avenue reopened Oct. 20, and four crews were working simultaneously on downtown revitalization, a staff member said. The work between 8th and 12th Streets includes stormwater, water, sewer and non-potable improvements. Staff expected it to be complete in October 2028. Project status and parking detours are posted on Speak Up Greeley weekly, sometimes more often as conditions change, the staff member said.

Greeley coordinated its 1st Street water-line replacement with Keep Greeley Moving road improvements to avoid tearing up the road more than once. Construction was expected to start early in 2027 and finish in June 2027, before the Stampede, staff said. The water department’s portion costs $830,000.

The Boomerang North upgrades cost $3.2 million. The Culture, Parks, and Recreation Golf Enterprise Fund pays for the pump station, a staff member said. Golf courses do not pay Greeley for water, a staff member said, describing the arrangement as “a cost trade-off” involving franchise and right-of-way permit fees the city does not pay.

The Gold Hill 60-inch connection will add the remaining 3 miles of pipeline from Bellevue to Zone 4 Pump Station. Design changes were needed because of the Boyd Line relocation, and staff expected construction to run from 2027 through 2028. A board member put the line’s cost at $24 million and called it a generational project with long-term implications for the community.

More from this meeting

  1. Greeley Water and Sewer Board, Oct. 21, 2026

    Greeley raises Amrize water lease to 32 acre-feet a year; Greeley renews reservoir caretaker lease starting at $5,000 yearly; Greeley working on 175 planned lead and copper replacements.

  2. Item 5Greeley raises Amrize water lease to 32 acre-feet a year

    The lease costs $1,475 per acre-foot, with annual increases tied to the consumer price index. Its initial term runs through 2028, followed by two five-year renewal terms.

  3. Item 6Greeley renews reservoir caretaker lease starting at $5,000 yearly

    The 10-year agreement covers continued use of city-owned structures on 2.44 acres. Rent increases after five years to $5,250 or more, depending on the Consumer Price Index.

  4. Item 8Staff expect Greeley’s $50 million wastewater upgrades to finish in November 2027

    The plant has continued operating during construction. The work adds backup power, new pumps that bring wastewater in and side-stream treatment processes addressing phosphorus and nitrogen.

  5. Item 10Greeley prepares pipeline work as $8.6 million grant reaches state

    The city plans to prepare procurement and federal grant paperwork by year-end, select a contractor and order long-lead materials. Construction could begin around May 2027.