Denver — Today, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed over $68 million from the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) for aging water Infrastructure projects in Colorado, including $56 million for the construction of the mine drainage water treatment facility and chemical storage building at the Leadville Treatment Plant.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in over half a century. In Colorado, the law is already helping us rebuild our roads, tunnels, and bridges — and invest in critical water infrastructure,” said Bennet. “This funding will allow us to complete construction on the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel – a project the Leadville community has needed for years.”

“Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help build a stronger Colorado, from better roads to more resilient water supplies. Now, projects like the Leadville mine drainage tunnel are getting the funds they need to move forward, safeguarding the Arkansas River’s headwaters for the benefit of the communities and ecosystems,” said Hickenlooper.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau, White House Senior Advisor Mitch Landrieu, and USBR Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton announced this funding as part of a nearly $585 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for infrastructure repairs on water delivery systems throughout the American West. 

This announcement included $68 million in funding for aging infrastructure projects in Colorado, including:

• $56 million to finalize planning, design and subsequent construction of the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel.
• $1.5 million to remove and replace the Azotea Tunnel outlet transition and replace the four existing structures due to degradation for the San Juan-Chama Project.
• $10.8 million for the design, construction, and commissioning costs of the new alignment to mitigate risk of future slide damage, for the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline at the Animas La-Plata Project.

 Last Congress, Bennet and Hickenlooper helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,  which made the largest investments in American infrastructure in half a century and allocated more than $50 billion toward repairing the nation’s essential water infrastructure.