SILVERTHORNE
During the early 1960s, the construction of Summit County's Dillon Reservoir, resulted in the relocation of the Town of Dillon, and the start of Silverthorne. Dillon used plain lagoons for wastewater treatment (located in Silverthorne) and other area development was embryonic.
The concept of a joint treatment facility serving all of five of the area's entities was advanced by Ron McLaughlin, on behalf of the two towns. A treatment site was chosen, a Master Plan for trunk sewers was prepared, and the Joint Authority was formed. The organization is unique since each entity can elect to construct plant capacity — and equitably pay the capital cost; the result is that each entity can manage its treatment capacity/investment as if it owned its own individual plant.
The treatment facility has been expanded from its original 60,000 gpd to the present capacity of 4.0 MGD. Trunk lines and the plant have followed the original 1968 Master Plan. An exception was that the last contract also modified the processes for ammonia removal (advanced treatment including phosphorous removal and filtration were always included). Economic comparisons have shown the Joint Authority facilities to have total costs 40% less than the other four (similar size and criteria) treatment plants in Summit County.