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Booming Colorado town asks, ‘Where will water come from?’

David Zalubowski/AP

In this Monday, July 26, 2021, photograph, a well head is shown on the Terry Bison Ranch as Cole Gustafson, a water resource administrator for the Greeley, Colo., Water Department, works near his pickup truck near Carr, Colo. Figures released this month show that population growth continues unabated in the South and West, even as temperatures rise and droughts become more common. That in turn has set off a scramble of growing intensity in places like Greeley to find water for the current population, let alone those expected to arrive in coming years. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

By: The Associated Press

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GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — The northern Colorado city of Greeley is in one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. But that growth may not be sustainable as the city encounters a problem common in the drought-ravaged West: There may not be enough water to meet future needs.

City officials believe they've come up with an innovative solution, approving a deal to acquire an underground aquifer with enough water to meet the city’s needs for generations. And it offers storage opportunities for dry years.

One city official says, "Greeley is trading future revenue for water supplies today.''

But opponents call the deal a giveaway and worry about environmental concerns.

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Booming Colorado town asks, ‘Where will water come from?’

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