The Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) is a massive, decades-in-the-making 130-mile pipeline project in southeastern Colorado, authorized by President Kennedy in 1962, to deliver clean water from Pueblo Reservoir to 39 rural communities (like those in Pueblo, Otero, Crowley, Kiowa, Bent, Prowers counties) struggling with naturally contaminated groundwater (salinity, radionuclides, uranium) for drinking and industrial use. After long delays due to funding challenges, recent federal legislation (2009) shifted the cost-share to 65% federal and 35% local, with construction breaking ground in 2020, but facing recent political hurdles over extending repayment terms, despite bipartisan support in Colorado to finish this vital public health project.
Lauren Boebert championed the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC), a major water pipeline for SE Colorado, introducing the “Finish the AVC Act” (H.R. 131) to ease local water districts’ loan repayment burdens by removing interest and extending terms, which passed the House and Senate but was recently vetoed by President Trump in late 2025, with a subsequent House override attempt failing in early 2026 due to lack of bipartisan support. The project aims to deliver clean water from Pueblo Reservoir to numerous rural communities, but faces financial hurdles.
