Business View Civil and Municipal | May/June 2022

43 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 million gallons a day right now and we can produce up to 8 million gallons a day through the plant. Even at our highest, right now, we’re only running between 4 and 5 million, so we could almost double the population with the plant the way it is.” On the sustainability side, Sterling is currently in the process of finalizing the installation of an electric vehicle charging station in the city’s downtown, which will be a progressive addition to the community. Other future plans include a rebuild of the wastewater pumping station, and an update to the wastewater treatment plant. Looking to the future, Ritter hopes to see the addition of a second fire station, sharing that the department serves the City of Sterling, along with 680 square miles of rural area. “We are working with the Rural Fire Protection District Board,” he says, “and I hope in three years we will have a second station. We ran 3,000 calls last year, and that’s all out of the one station that we have in Sterling.” As the community grows, Blankenship describes a need for continued housing development in Sterling, as well as more daycare facilities. He conveys, “When jobs are created, it brings in families. We need the houses, and if people are going to go to work, then we need a place for their children if they are not in school.” Supporting the addition of more small business in the downtown is also on his agenda, as well as working to increase tourism to the area. As a final thought he adds, “Sterling is known as the hub of Northeastern Colorado, and I’d like to make sure that we live up to and exceed that.” STERL ING, COLORADO