Hickenlooper, Bennet, and Boebert Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Complete the Arkansas Valley Conduit

Project will deliver clean drinking water to more than 50,000 Coloradans, helping communities with radioactive groundwater contamination

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet introduced the Finish the AVC Act to lower the cost of completing the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) and make sure the federal government helps finish the project. Bipartisan companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert.

"Water has been the lifeblood of Colorado's Arkansas River Valley since long before JFK promised to deliver them clean drinking water," said Hickenlooper. "Sixty years later, our bill will help Southeastern Colorado communities harness their resources to get the job done."

"This bill will ensure the federal government makes good on its promise to Southeastern Coloradans to deliver a safe and reliable water supply," said Bennet. "We have invested over $300 million to build the Arkansas Valley Conduit over the past decade and now we must ensure increased costs don't stop this project in its tracks."

"Southeastern Coloradans need access to a clean, sustainable water supply that every family can depend on, which is what the Finish The AVC Act will deliver. I'm proud to introduce this legislation with our Senators to help our rural communities in Colorado see this critical project through to completion," said Boebert.

The Finish the AVC Act would remove interest payments on all non-federal cost share funds and extend the repayment period from 50 to 100 years. This bill helps make sure that underserved communities of Southeastern Colorado can access clean drinking water and repay the federal government. The estimated cost of the project more than doubled from the 2019 estimate of $640 million to $1.3 billion due to increased inflation and labor costs.

The Arkansas Valley Conduit is the final component of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, a water diversion and storage project in the lower Arkansas Valley, which Congress approved in 1962. Once constructed, the Conduit will deliver clean drinking water from the Pueblo Reservoir to more than 50,000 families, producers and municipalities throughout 39 communities in the Arkansas River Valley. Currently, these Southeast communities rely entirely on groundwater, with several facing water contamination from naturally-occurring radioactive elements.

"Water is one of our most precious resources in Colorado and we are committed to helping every Coloradan access clean drinking water. This project will support access in the Arkansas valley and I thank Senator Bennet for his leadership on this issue," said Colorado Governor Jared Polis.

"This is another very important step for the people of the Lower Arkansas Valley who have struggled to get the Arkansas Valley Conduit moving ahead for more than 60 years. Now that the AVC is finally under construction and given the current estimated cost of the AVC project, this legislation is absolutely necessary to make this dream a reality. We are grateful for our entire congressional delegation stepping up to make it happen," said Bill Long, President, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

Hickenlooper and Bennet have consistently advocated for increased federal funding for the AVC. Both senators helped deliver $250 million in funding for the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the AVC, including $90 million earlier this year, $100 million in 2023 and $60 million in 2022. Following Hickenlooper and Bennet's call to the Senate Appropriations Committee Leadership this April to increase funds for the project, the Committee included $13 million for the AVC in their fiscal year 2025 Energy and Water bill.

The text of the bill is available HERE.

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