A major renewable water project in El Paso County has reached its design phase, with tentative plans expected at the end of 2025.

Years in the making, the Loop project would cycle surface water flowing south back up to northern El Paso County. The town of Monument and two water and sanitation districts, Donala and Woodmoor, currently make up the Loop Water Authority board.

Total cost of the project is estimated at $200 million, according to Donala Water District Manager Jeff Hodge. The three water providers plan to finance through municipal bonds, he said, though the authority has not ruled out state funding or a public-private partnership.

Last month, the board met to kick off the design phase of the project, contracting with international infrastructure design firm Burns and McDonnell. The goal is to put on paper a 30% design plan, a rough draft of how the project will approach water treatment and the system of pipelines and pumps necessary to convey water.

The plan also will roughly estimate cost, said Hodge.

Jessie Shaffer, district manager for Woodmoor, said the firm is expected to finish its plans by fall. The authority also is accepting design bids for a possible expansion of the Calhan Reservoir, he said. 

Afterward, the board will decide whether to finalize a design and seek construction bids, or hire a firm to complete design and construction.

“The next step is, what route do we want to go?” Hodge said.

A major part of the design process may be finalizing an agreement with Cherokee Metropolitan District, which pulled out of the project as a member of the authority board late last year.

Facing what Interim District Manager Kevin Brown said were unexpected infrastructure costs associated with the detection of “forever chemicals” in its water supply, Cherokee has instead secured alternative water rights in the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin. 

The Loop probably still will seek use of a 17–mile pipeline owned by Cherokee, said Hodge. The section is almost half the distance to connect to the Calhan Reservoir at the southern end of the project. 

“They’re quite integral,” Hodge said.

Hodge said he expected that buying rights to use the pipeline would include an agreement for Cherokee to have emergency access to the Loop.

Brown did not comment Tuesday on any possible negotiations. 

On a “very optimistic” timeline, Shaffer said the design phase could give way to construction in fall 2026. He said the start could also be pushed to the first or second quarter of 2027. 

The Loop’s target for completion is 2030-2032, Shaffer said.