UTILITY NEWS UTILITY NEWS Loveland Water and Power VETERAN EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT THE LOVELAND MAIN SWITCHBOARD visit us online… 2020 RATE CHANGES: WHAT TO EXPECT 970-962-3000 cityofloveland.org/LWP Their willingness to sacrifice for our country has earned our UTILITY BILLING lasting gratitude. With respect, honor and thanksgiving, we City Update Loveland Water and Power (LWP) is committed to keeping utility costs 970-962-2111 recognize veterans at Loveland Water and Power. VOLUME 15 | NUMBER 11 NOVEMBER 2019 low and reliability high for all customers. Like all utility providers, LWP THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. periodically evaluates the cost of maintaining reliable infrastructure to provide excellent water, power and wastewater services. Different types of RYAN SMITH UTILITY BUSINESS ANALYST EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE ‘Papel Chicano’ splashes color at museum customers—like residential and commercial— pay different rates based on Army National Guard (Calvary Scout, the cost of providing service. LWP collaborates with expert rate consultants Paratrooper, Combat Lifesaver to review the different rates every three years analyzing the average use trained), E-5 Sargent of service for each group and comparing it with their unique costs. THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS A SEASON OF Before rates are set in stone, LWP must present its findings to the Loveland Ryan’s wife, Shannon, also works GLADNESS, A SEASON OF CHEER… at the City of Loveland. They have a Utilities Commission (LUC) and Loveland City Council for final approval. AND A SEASON OF THE DREADED F.O.G. 19-year-old son attending college. The two governing boards review each rate class thoroughly to ensure Ryan and his wife enjoy running and F.O.G stands for Fats, Oils and Grease. Everyone has likely inadvertently Loveland customers are charged a fair price for service. Weighted Rucking. They are 24-hour put a little F.O.G. down the drain, but out of sight should absolutely endurance event athletes. Ryan also 2020 PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL RATE CHANGES not be out of mind when it comes to your drains. Fats, Oils and Grease serves as the Lieutenant of Poudre are found in meat, fish, butter, cooking oil, mayonnaise, dressing, gravy, ESTIMATED USAGE ESTIMATED BILL INCREASE Fire Authorities’, Fire Station 9. (compared to 2019 rates) sauces and food scraps. F.O.G. can cause big problems and commonly occurs around the holidays when people are preparing large meals. WATER KYLE BARNETT PROCUREMENT AGENT DID YOU KNOW? FOG IS HYDROPHOBIC! EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE 7,300 Gallons/month $2.57 Using hot water or soap will not remove F.O.G. When the solution United States Marine Corps, DID YOU KNOW? (based on summer rates) contacts the cooler underground piping, F.O.G. can stick to pipes and Corporal cause a blockage. Kyle’s favorite pastime is spending LWP is a WASTEWATER CLOGGED PIPES IN A RESIDENCE OR BUSINESS SEWER LINE time with his 2-year-old daughter. committed to providing you fair ARE THE OWNER’S FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. 3,800 gallons/month $2.13 Kyle also enjoys exploring new rates Discharging waste containing F.O.G. increases the need for sewer Photo: Timothy Hurst, City of Loveland POWER food and drink venues in Northern maintenance and repairs resulting in higher utility costs and even Colorado. Sister and brother Sally and Tom Stroh look through artist Carlos Donjuán’s “Night Shift” series of paintings, part of the Loveland 700 kilowatt hours/month $2.81 regulatory fines. Museum’s current exhibit, “Papel Chicano Dos,” a collection assembled by Cheech Marin showing now through Jan. 12, 2020. Rate dollars are directly (based on summer rates) WHAT CAN YOU DO? reinvested to maintain high- You can significantly reduce the amount of waste going into the sewer Cheech, post-Chong, brings Individual bills will vary based on use. quality utility services by taking a few simple steps: You can save by reducing your usage! Learn more about saving • Scrape all food waste into a lined garbage can. Putting food wastes his love of art to Loveland through efficiency at cityofloveland.org/saves down the drain increases the oxygen needed to treat wastewater. ome of the 24 artists featured in “Papel • Keep a strainer in your sink to capture residual solids. Minimize JOE CREAGHE WATER RECLAMATION PLANT MGR S Chicano Dos,” the current main-gallery Rate increases are an integral 2019 RATES COMPARED TO the use of the kitchen garbage disposal. This step will also help FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE exhibit at the Loveland museum, are well- part of providing reliable utilities United States Marine Corps, OTHER NORTHERN COLORADO PROVIDERS prevent backups, save water and save you money. established. for years to come. NCO E-4 • Use a paper towel to wipe oil and grease from pots, pans and Others are emerging painters, discovered by WATER RATES WASTEWATER RATES POWER RATES utensils. Joe has 32 years of experience collector Cheech Marin on his visits to Los Angeles • Place waste oil and solidified grease into a suitable container after working in the wastewater industry. area art galleries. All of them are Chicano, or Chicana, the Learn more about 18% 2.4% 14% it has cooled to be disposed of in the trash. Joe is a father of five. When describing himself, Joe said, “I serve commonality that binds the paintings that make Rates, Charges and Fees at Less Than Less Than Less Than • Recycle cooking oil (e.g., from turkey fryer) at the City’s Recycling 2 2 1 God and family and our team here at up the current exhibit. The works on paper include Average Average Average Center. the City of Loveland.” watercolors, pastels, acrylics, aqua tints and mixed You have a stake in the sewer line that runs from your home or media – each inspired by the culture that in the mid- 1. Source: CAMU 2019 Residential Survey business to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Every effort you take to 1960s embraced the label “Chicano.” Lower than 63% of Lower th an 50% of Lower than 76% of Cheech Marin is shown standing in front of Pablo Andres Cristi’s “If La Virgen Source: Sept. 18, 2019 Loveland Utilities reduce unwanted pollutants in the sewer benefits you and the City of other providers2 other providers2 other providers1 Marin is half of the stoner-hippie comic duo Returned,” one of the 65 pieces of Chicano art included in “Papel Chicano Dos” Commission Meeting Loveland economically and environmentally. Cheech & Chong who first took viewers on the wild from Marin’s private collection now on display at the Loveland Museum. 5 6 (see CHEECH page 2) 1 Detection of EAB near Berthoud puts Loveland ash tree owners on notice 2019 NEW! In March of 2017, the City larvae dig tunnels into the trunks for the life of the tree – it’s a long Update feature story was on the and branches of the tree. The term commitment.” Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) – the damage they do through this The City is also working 32-MILE small, green Asian beetle that has process can kill a healthy tree in a to manage its own ash tree decimated the ash tree population matter of a couple years. And a tree population. Currently the City has CHALLENGE in the eastern and mid-western can be infested for up to four years about 4,700 ash trees in its urban United States since the early 2,000’s. before any symptoms of infestation forest, 700 of which are in City At that time, the pest still can be detected. parks. The initial focus for treating seemed distant, and Loveland’s ash Susceptible ash varieties Parks-owned ash trees will be at CHILSON trees safe, but last month, a joint include white, blue, green and black the Civic Center complex and at NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 19 press release put out by the Town ash, native North American ash Dwayne Webster Park. of Berthoud, Larimer County and trees, as well as a cultivar known as For more information on EAB RUN 32 , BIKE 96 or SWIM 8 miles the Colorado State Forest Service autumn purple ash. detection and treatment, go to confirmed the presence of EAB The time to plan is now https://csfs.colostate.edu/forest- near Berthoud, bringing the reality The City’s Parks Forestry management/emerald-ash-borer/. of what that means for Loveland’s Specialist, Jeff Caputo, advises that Photo: Daniel Herms, Ohio State University, ash trees, to the forefront. residents start planning now. “We Bugwood.org REGISTER The first in-state identification are advising residents who live cityofloveland.org/webtrac Works on display at the Loveland Museum include Cici Segura- was made in Boulder in 2013. It has south of Hwy. 402 or west of Hwy. or at the Chilson front desk Gonzalez’ “Soy Chicana” (above) and Frank Romero’s “Parade since been confirmed in Gunbarrel, 287 to treat their ash trees next of Masks” (right). Longmont, Lafayette, Lyons, spring if they intend to keep them.” INFO: 970.962.2FUN CHEECH (from page 1) Superior, Broomfield, Westminster For residents living in other Chilson Recreation Center | 700 E. Fourth St. “Up In Smoke” ride in 1978. He and partner and now in Larimer County. parts of Loveland, Caputo said they Tommy Chong went on to make another half dozen The reason city and county should start making plans for what movies after that, and still make occasional joint officials are so concerned is because to do with their ash trees since the appearances. of the swift destruction the EAB beetle has been detected just south But Cheech Marin is all about art these days, as wreaks on ash trees.