History
1972
- The Morgan County Soft Water Association was formed.
- There were about 12-15 members on this committee charged to look at the feasibility of forming a Special District to bring better water to Morgan County.
1976
- Morgan County Quality Water District was formed in August.
- Quality Water Dist. needed 750 signatures to secure funding for the project, so door-to-door sign-up was initiated. Taps were offered at $350 per tap equivalent.
- First tap was sold to George and Thelma Cook of Orchard.
- The Norton, Underwood and Lamb engineering firm were retained for design of the system.
- George Underwood worked out of a hotel room and Quality Water’s small office to design the system “just ahead of the trencher.”
- Don McClary was retained as legal counsel for the District.
- Tom Norton helped secure funding through FHA. The funding proposal was crafted to fit the Carter administration “Drought Relief Program”
- First in the Nation, district received a 3.1 million dollar loan and a 2.9 million dollar grant.
1977
- Quality Water Dist. consummated first loan with FmHA, $5 million Dollars.
- The District hired Oliver Construction and construction began.
- It took approx. 18 months to install over 300 miles of mainline.
1984
- Purchased Land for Smart well Field.
1986
- Morgan County Quality Water took the opportunity to save the District $2 million Dollars by re-financing the FHA loan. The District acted quickly by finalizing the loan with Colo. Water and Power Authority.
1987
- The District Purchased their first CBT units from Riverside Irrigation for $750/ unit.
- The District worked closely with Riverside Irrigation in negotiating long term lease purchase agreement of additional 1500 units.
1988
- Purchased the Krause Well Field.
- The district held a special election resulting in tremendous support by the voters.
1991
- The Smart Well was drilled and added to the system.
1993
- The district along with Fort Morgan, started a feasibility study to bring the CBT waterline from the Front Range to Morgan County.
- Quality Water purchased land for Weingardt Well Field.
1994
- An agreement between QW and Bijou Irrigation drafted for use of land at the Weingardt Well Field for an Augmentation site.
1995
- The Fugate ranch purchased land adjacent to Weingardt land.
- Quality Water drilled Weingardt Well #1.
- The Spanish Colony was added to the QW system. They were noted as being a “pleasure to work with”.
2002
- The district began be being a participant in the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) through Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District.
2003
- Quality Water incorporated Morgan Heights customers into the district.
- The Wiggins Pump Station plans began and the project was competed in August 2004.
2004
- QW continued work on the San Arroyo Infiltration Project (started in early 1990’s) Principia Mathamatica did the Groundwater modeling for the project.
2005
- Quality Water secured the necessary authority to proceed with construction of the San Arroyo Project.
- QW added Town of Log Lane to the system which was 327 tap equivalents.
2006
- The San Arroyo Project was near completion.
- QW signed an agreement with Town of Hillrose for the districts first Dual System.