LOVELAND, Colo. — The initial fill of the Chimney Hollow Reservoir is underway, but the water will only reach 2% of the reservoir's total capacity as crews conduct critical water quality testing.
About a year ago, crews discovered uranium in the area. Now, they must perform real-world testing on the water filling the reservoir before it can be distributed to approximately 800,000 people in the state.
- Watch the full story in the video player below.
Uranium is a naturally occurring, radioactive substance found in rocks and soil. The Water Quality Association notes that exposure could lead to kidney inflammation and an increased risk of cancer, making the work Tuesday an incredibly important part of the process.
Water Quality Policy Specialist Chris Manley said crews will monitor data and water collection for at least the next year to observe how the rocks and embankment interact with the water. Afterward, they will create a plan to disperse the water to northern Colorado.
"This year’s a great example of when we go through drought conditions like we have this year, having extra storage capacity is pretty critical. And one year is bad, and we’re all kind of seeing the impacts of that, but if these years string together, that’s when we really need water storage to provide for our communities," Manley said.
Nine cities, two water districts and a power provider are collaborating on the project. However, these collaborators will not receive any of the water currently filling the reservoir until testing is done. Manley said they don't yet have a date on when that will be.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
