Colorado Springs Utilities is working to decrease the chances of another sewage spill into area creeks. The utility company is stabilizing the west bank of Fountain Creek, near the confluence with Sand Creek, to protect a 54" diameter wastewater pipe that runs along Fountain Creek.

Crews are adding large rocks along the banks of the creek to prevent erosion which may expose the pipe. Its one of many similar projects they have conducted over the past few years.

Those projects are meant to prevent spills, but they are also working on a large project as a contingency plan if there is a spill. The Fountain Recovery Project is a
$10 million venture intended as an additional safeguard to keep an accidental spill from reaching the environment and downstream communities during non-storm events. Spills caused by storms or floods won't be sent to the pond because it is not big enough to handle that much water.

The recovery project includes an 18.5 million gallon spill recovery pond and a 20 million gallon pond for water rights exchanges. The spill recovery pond is intended to house the water from Fountain Creek until the spill can be contained.