Colorado Springs Utilities will host three workshops for contractors and businesses who want to work on the $1.2 billion Southern Delivery System water-pipeline project.

The first workshop will be held in Colorado Springs on Thursday.

The workshops will give contractors a chance to learn more about the project, which is expected to move water from Pueblo Reservoir to Colorado Springs through a pipeline and a series of pumping stations.

Construction on the first phase of SDS is expected to begin this year and continue through 2016, Utilities said. Utilities officials expect SDS to create 380 jobs in the early years of construction and as many as 700 jobs in 2014.

Utilities is seeking approval for two consecutive water-rate hikes of 12 percent each that would go into effect in 2011 and 2012 to begin to pay for SDS.

SDS WORKSHOPS• Colorado Springs: 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. ThursdayLeon Young Service Center, 1521 Hancock Expressway

• Pueblo: 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. MondayEl Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union Ave.• Cañon City: 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 13Pueblo Community College, Fremont Campus, 51320 W. U.S. Highway 50

Jason Lee Stroud Photo by