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Moved by the music

Below: The Pikes Peak Highlanders entertained the crowds at the Monument Street Fair, July 4. L to R: Pipe Maj. (Ret.) Sam Swancutt, Piper Ryan Dean, and Drum Sqt. Michael Wheelon. Photo by Chris Pollard

Zoom in

Below: The Concerts in the Park sponsored by the Historic Monument Merchants Association were a big success again this year. Here we see the audience enjoying a performance by The String Dudes at the July 13 concert in Limbach Park. Photos by Jim Kendrick

Zoom in

Donala received word in late June that it was unlikely treatment facility partner Triview Metropolitan District would qualify for the low-interest federally subsidized loan for its share of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) expansion. Donala’s board held a special meeting on June 27 to discuss other options to help provide the $5 million needed to cover Triview’s portion, as the state will deny the necessary site application without proof of financing for both districts. Members decided to amend the application to request the entire $10 million.

Insufficient load capacity of the small bridge across Jackson Creek, which provides access to the WWTF, also threatens to delay work on the project. Time has become especially critical, as a new equalization basin—planned to be under construction by year’s end—is needed to store peak flows for processing later in the day.

Donala’s board unanimously approved the district’s 2004 audit, which will be submitted to the State of Colorado. In June, each member had been provided with a draft copy of the audit to review; final copies were also distributed to the board several days before the July meeting.

Interested individuals may review the audit at the district office, or purchase a copy for $25.

Duthie told the board that investments under the management of Kirkpatrick-Pettis had earned $4,000 since last month. Member Ed Houle remarked that some funds would be coming due in six months, and asked Duthie whether he would be rolling those over for another term. Duthie replied that they would be discussing that issue in executive session.

Larry Bishop, president of EPCWA, Gary Barber, executive agent, and Wayne Williams, El Paso County Commissioner for District 1 and authority member, will be speaking to the Interim Water Committee about El Paso County water issues on Sept. 7. The committee, composed of state senators and representatives selected by the state legislature, was formed to study all issues pertaining to water between legislative sessions.

Counties and municipalities are in the process of selecting members who will sit on the river basin discussion roundtables mandated by HB05-1177, which was passed during the Colorado Legislature’s last session. The bill implements recommendations of Phase II of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI). (Phase I identified water supply availability and demand across Colorado.)

These roundtable discussion groups will provide a forum where conflicting water interests can work together to hammer out their differences and reach mutually agreeable solutions on contentious issues such as interbasin transfers and water storage projects. Each of the nine major river basins within Colorado will have its own roundtable. An additional group representing groundwater users in the Denver metro area, which includes northern El Paso County, will also be a part of the discussions.

Because parts of El Paso County drain into the Arkansas and Platte River basins, and most areas north of Colorado Springs rely on groundwater supplies, the county will have a seat on three roundtables. The bill specifies that the appointees must live in the basin they represent, but do not have to reside in the county that appointed them.

Phil Steininger, general manager for the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, will represent El Paso County on the Denver metro roundtable; Frank Jaeger, general manger of the Parker Water and Sanitation District, will sit on the Platte River Drainage Roundtable; and Barber, executive agent for the EPCWA and manager for the Palmer Divide Water Group (PDWG), will be on the Arkansas River drainage roundtable.

All municipalities, including Colorado Springs, Palmer Lake and Monument, have also been invited to participate in selecting roundtable representatives.

The PDWG listened to a presentation by lobbyist Dick Brown. In light of the PDWG’s recent success in attracting media attention to northern El Paso County water issues, Brown recommended expanding the group’s efforts. In order to increase the PDWG’s influence, he proposed the following:

The proposal to expand included a significant increase in spending. Although other groups, including Castle Rock and Castle Pines North, have expressed interest in joining, none have yet "signed a check" to ease the present membership’s expenses. The amount current members would have to invest in order to implement the proposals was cost prohibitive.

Though they were supportive of the idea of greater regional representation, most felt the investment needed for such a venture was beyond the fiscal capability of the group. Instead, the PDWG favored cutting back to include upper Monument and northern El Paso County only. Members agreed to discuss options at their June 21 meeting.

Prior to the end of June, Donala received word from Triview general manager Ron Simpson that Triview is likely to not be recommended for approval for the $5 million low-interest loan intended to cover its half of the WWTF expansion. Donala and Triview submitted separate applications for the federally subsidized loans, which are administered by the Colorado Water and Power Authority (CWPA) and will be approved or denied during the Authority’s Aug. 26 meeting.

While Donala is likely to qualify for its $5 million loan, the amount would only cover half of the expansion, and the State of Colorado will not approve the site application without funding confirmation for the full cost of the project. Construction cannot begin without site application approval.

Expansion of the WWTF is necessary, as design engineer Roger Sams of GMS anticipates the current plant will be at 95 percent capacity by at least mid-2006. Once capacity is exceeded, the WWTF would be incapable of consistently meeting state requirements—among them, effluent water quality standards. As operator of the plant, Donala would be responsible for any fines incurred as a result of violations.

Duthie called a special meeting of the board on June 27 to discuss the problem. After listening to financial advisor Joe Drew’s assessment of the options, the board decided to amend the amount requested on Donala’s loan application to $10 million. If approved by the CWPA, the loan would cover the full amount of the expansion.

Further discussion concerning recovery of Triview’s portion was reserved for the July 20 meeting’s executive session. When the public session was reopened, the board announced it had decided not to carry Triview’s portion, and instead will give that district until the end of 2005 to find alternative financing. According to the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the three districts (Triview, Donala, and Forest Lakes Metro District), whoever funds the expansion owns it; so Donala would become sole proprietor of the additional capacity.

Should Triview be unable to secure funding for $5 million, Donala could offer to buy Triview’s third of the existing plant. Triview, which is the provider of water and sewer utilities for all of Jackson Creek, would be forced to decide whether to become a customer of the WWTF or go elsewhere for sewer service. Another option would be for Triview to place a moratorium on growth in its district, which would eliminate the need for additional treatment facility capacity.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) approved the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat plan, so work on the dirt access road from Woodcarver Road, the southern extension of the Old Denver Highway, can begin. Duthie said he expects to resolve remaining issues with Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA) soon, after which MVEA will move its buried electrical lines, enabling contractors to complete the new railroad crossing. The old crossing passed beneath a railroad trestle bridge; the underpass is too small to accommodate larger sludge trucks and the construction equipment that will be utilized during the expansion.

The weight capacity of the small bridge over Jackson Creek continues to cause concern. Fear of the bridge’s collapse under the significantly heavier equipment that will cross the creek during construction led Donala to investigate options for reinforcing the structure.

Duthie repeated that Mike Gaines, a local structural engineer hired by Sams, said the bridge could handle a maximum load of 30 tons between two axles. The sludge trucks servicing the WWTF weigh less than 30 tons, but the concrete trucks and earthmovers that will be used during expansion construction weigh more.

Sams estimated that engineering, design and permitting for bridge reinforcement would cost around $18,000, and construction would run just under $100,000. Duthie described the fix as a "large Band-Aid," which would increase capacity to around 40 or 50 tons.

The IGA for the WWTF specifies that the three co-owners are equally responsible for maintenance costs of access roads. Forest Lakes had argued that bridge replacement or reinforcement is a capital expense, not a maintenance issue. Donala countered that the financial responsibility for a new bridge would therefore fall entirely on Forest Lakes, which led Forest Lakes to rethink its stance.

The Shuck Corporation, owner/developer of Forest Lakes Estates, would like to eventually annex the development to Monument, so it wants to be sure that any bridge improvements are acceptable to the town. In addition, once Forest Lakes has been developed, the district may wish to install a new larger bridge to handle the residential traffic. Consequently, Forest Lakes wants to avoid spending money on a temporary solution.

Shuck has agreed to split the cost of engineering and design for the bridge reinforcement, but has not consented to sharing construction costs. Donala and Triview have taken the position that the bridge must be fixed, or Forest Lakes must provide a letter of indemnity absolving Donala and Triview of any liability associated with bridge failure.

Because any construction associated with the bridge will require permits from several agencies—possibly including the USFWS, the Army Corps of Engineers, Flood Plain Management, and El Paso County—time is of the essence. The current expansion timeline calls for the equalization basin to be started by the end of 2005, and Duthie has stated previously that the basin will be needed sooner rather than later. The plant is already having occasional difficulty handling peak flows; the equalization basin will store excess wastewater and spread processing throughout the day.

Donala had hoped to begin basin construction by November or December, but without immediate action on the bridge, meeting that goal is unlikely.

Duthie reported that testing on Well 9A had produced a flow of 600 gallons per minute. He also said that even though the well was on the western edge of Donala’s district, where production is typically lower, the Arapaho aquifer sands in that location were "very good" and conducive to a high yield. A hydrologist will present recommendations soon, which will include suggested pump size. The well won’t be operational until the end of 2005.

Donala staff doesn’t yet know what, if any, interference effects 9A will have on other district wells in the vicinity, specifically Wells 1 and 2.

Plans to continue filling Monument Lake with the help of water credits obtained through an IGA with Donala have hit a snag. Monument officials had hoped to use Donala’s excess effluent as exchange for water captured from Monument Creek. However, CSU and the state engineer’s office agreed that without the ability to account for Monument Creek and excess effluent flows daily, which Donala presently lacks the ability to do, Monument will not be allowed to retain additional water from the creek.

The town of Monument has hired Lytle Water Solutions to work on setting up a solution agreeable to all involved entities.

Monument does not currently have storage rights for the 132 acre-feet of water already in the reservoir. In order to replace the amount it had previously held back from Monument Creek, the town will be allowed to buy excess effluent from Donala and Triview. Both districts are able to determine the amount of effluent that is excess and therefore available for purchase the month after the actual flow.

Monument will buy all excess at $50 per acre-foot, until the amount released into the creek equals the 132 acre-feet held in the lake. This process will take several months; Donala was only able to sell 20.55 acre-feet to Monument during the month of June.

The fate of the IGA past that point has not yet been determined.

Duthie told the board that Richmond would be finished with its Falcon’s Nest development soon. Both Laing and Keller were continuing to build and sell.

Donala has heard nothing further from Classic Homes regarding its planned purchase of the Black Forest Baptist Camp. The homebuilder had not made further inquiries regarding annexation to Donala as of the July meeting.

There was also no news regarding the development of the former Brown Ranch. The area, now owned by Randy Scholl, has been platted for 66 patio homes and thirty 2½-acre lots. At one point, the Monument Charter Academy had indicated interest in building on the ranch, but the school has not contacted Donala to date.

Board members unanimously accepted an inclusion agreement, and president Charlie Coble signed an order of inclusion for a 2½-acre lot in Chaparral Hills owned by Harland and Latisha Baker. The Bakers subdivided their five-acre property on Lariat Lane. They intend to build on the other lot, and drill their own well and construct a septic system.

The agreement is nearly identical to other inclusion contracts recently approved for lots in Chaparral Hills, except that service will also include sewer hookup, making it a fully taxable member of the district. The Baker agreement had originally been presented to the board in June, but was delayed a month to meet legal notice requirements.

Until now, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) had refused to consider delivering surface water to northern El Paso County communities outside city limits through their planned Southern Delivery System (SDS) pipeline. The merits of the SDS over other alternatives, which will be included in the environmental impact statement, may be partially judged on how well the project fills the needs of the area, not just the needs of Colorado Springs.

In what seems to be a promising move toward a more regional approach, Colorado Springs Utilities staff members Brett Gracely and Courtney Brand met with Duthie on June 21, offering the district the possibility of transporting as much as 400 acre-feet of water per year to help offset Donala’s peak demand. In return, Colorado Springs proposed taking all the district’s excess effluent at their Pikeview station. Donala would also be expected to provide supplemental well water to the city during drought years.

The offer may have been precipitated by Duthie’s published response to a recent editorial in the Pueblo Chieftain. The editorial criticized ongoing efforts by the water group to secure water from Arkansas Valley farmers through a rotating fallowing program. In his letter to the editor, Duthie defended the idea as being advantageous to struggling farmers and northern El Paso County residents. He also pointed out the practicality of building one pipeline instead of two, to move water north from the lower Arkansas Valley to Colorado Springs and communities nearby.

Though Duthie conceded some aspects of CSU’s proposal would be advantageous to the Donala district, he told the board the offer was not sufficient to satisfy Donala’s future needs and did not address the anticipated water requirements of any other northern El Paso County communities. He said the water situation required a regional solution and that in the long run, members of the PDWG were more likely to be successful in procuring surface water and the means to transport it if they worked together, rather than if each entity worked alone.

Duthie drafted a response to CSU thanking them for their interest and stating that neither Donala nor PDWG currently has the rights to even the small amount of surface water discussed. And should surface water rights in the Arkansas Valley be secured by the PDWG, the amounts would be large enough to serve the entire area. However, Duthie wrote that the PDWG would discuss the utility’s possible interest in surface water transport during its next meeting and would inform CSU if it had a proposal to offer.

Board members unanimously passed a resolution increasing the amount future Donala directors will be paid. New members will receive compensation of $100 per meeting, not to exceed a yearly maximum of $1,600. Current Donala board members are ineligible for the raise unless reelected for another term.

The Colorado Legislature raised the compensation limits in April when the governor signed Senate Bill 05-12 into law, which increased the per-meeting limit to $100 from a previous maximum of $75, and changed the previous yearly cap from $1,200 to $1,600. The increase is not automatic; each district must pass a resolution to institute any change in compensation. The bill only applies to members newly elected or reelected after July 1, 2005, when the new law took effect. This stipulation prevents present special district board members from voting to increase their own pay.

Sitting Donala directors will continue to receive $75 per meeting for the remainder of their terms, not to exceed $1,200 in any calendar year.

Duthie distributed a tentative schedule to the board for meetings through March 2006, and asked members to check the dates against their own calendars to make sure the meetings will fit into their schedules. Several dates were changed to accommodate conflicts. The board meetings for August, September, and October will take place on the third Wednesday of the month as planned, but the November meeting has been moved to the 30th, which is the last (fifth) Wednesday of the month, and the regular December meeting has been canceled.

The January, February, and March meetings for 2006 are also listed on the schedule. Friday, Jan. 6 will be the first meeting of the year. February’s meeting will be held on the usual third Wednesday, which is Feb. 15. March’s date was switched to the 29th, which is the fifth Wednesday of the month. Meeting dates for the rest of 2006 are yet to be announced.

Duthie also listed the timeline for this year’s budget cycle. He plans to present the district’s draft budget for review at the September meeting. Members will receive copies of the final budget on Oct. 15 so that they may read it and ask questions or offer comments during the Oct. 19 meeting. During the November meeting, the board will formally approve the budget and sign the mill levy.

Health insurance premiums for Pacificare, the current provider for Donala, increased nearly 35 percent for 2006. The Pacificare program used by the district in 2005 included a copay system. In order to help defray out-of-pocket costs, Donala required the use of a GAP program.

In an attempt to keep costs down for the district and its employees, Donala staff reviewed several other plans and decided to go with Kaiser Permanente, which was the most comparable to the current insurance program in cost and coverage. Though Kaiser does not have its own system of hospitals and specialists in the Springs, it does require participating patients to use doctors on its list. An additional drawback is that Kaiser does not cooperate with the GAP program. Since few employees used the GAP coverage in 2005 anyway, staff elected to choose Kaiser and drop GAP coverage.

The district also looked at other programs such as cafeteria plans, preferred providers, and self-insurance. Though Donala chose Kaiser for the 2006 cycle, staff will continue to investigate other providers and types of plans over the next few months.

The board went into executive session at 2:25 p.m. to discuss issues pertaining to water, negotiation strategies, and personnel matters.

In addition to the decisions concerning funding for the WWTF, the board made other announcements in public session before adjourning the meeting. Members authorized Duthie to investigate the purchase of renewable water rights and spend up to $500,000 to purchase those rights for the district. They also authorized a pay raise for maintenance technician Troy Vialpando.

The next meeting of the Donala Board of Directors will be on Aug. 17, (the usual third Wednesday) at 1:30 p.m. at the district office, 15850 Holbein Dr.

Forest View Acres Water District, July 13: District President Guenther resigns; Board interviews management companies

View a photo of the FVAWD meeting

By John Heiser

Nearly two dozen people attended the July 13 meeting of the Forest View Acres Water District (FVAWD) board of directors.

Of the five directors, three—Kevin Lonergan, John Anderson, and Barbara Reed-Polatty—were present. Tom Guenther, president of the district, who on July 1 submitted his resignation effective Aug. 1, was ill. Treasurer Brian Cross was traveling on business.

Vice president Lonergan presided.

Two Colorado special district management companies made presentations to the board: Special District Management Services, Inc. (SDMS) of Lakewood and R. S. Wells, L.L.C. of Greenwood Village. Neither company was present for the other’s presentation.

The late Hugh Nevins established the FVAWD in 1957 to provide water to 27 homes. Currently, FVAWD provides water service to 280 residences in the Red Rocks Ranch, Clovenhoof, Villas, Sundance Estates, and Shiloh Pines neighborhoods in unincorporated El Paso County. A five-member board of directors governs the FVAWD. The district has a contract water operations manager, Dan LaFontaine, who is responsible for maintaining the equipment and infrastructure and for managing all aspects of water delivery.

In February, a warrant was issued for the arrest of former contract office manager Patricia Unger on charges of embezzling more than $212,000 in district funds. That amount was subsequently increased to $315,000. Unger surrendered to authorities Feb. 16 and was released on bail awaiting a preliminary hearing, which was initially scheduled for April 18 and then postponed to May 19. The May 19 hearing was continued to allow time for mediation and completion of the audit by Sheri Betzer, a forensic auditor, hired by the district’s attorneys. A mediation session was held July 8. Another one is scheduled for Aug. 19. On July 12, the court hearing was continued to Aug. 22 to review the results of the second mediation session.

The district has filed a civil suit against Unger to recover the missing funds and associated costs. The nonbinding mediation is intended to address the civil and criminal aspects of the case.

Deborah McCoy, President of SDMS, gave that company’s presentation. Some highlights:

Later in the meeting, Bob Brooks, Managing Director of R. S. Wells L.L.C., made a presentation. Brooks was accompanied by Chérie Talbert and David Peak, Wells project managers, and Christine Harwell, a CPA from Wells’ parent company, Clifton Gunderson, L.L.P. Some highlights of Brooks’ presentation:

Following Brooks’ presentation, Harwell made a presentation regarding the services available from accounting firm Clifton Gunderson. Some highlights of her presentation:

The minutes of the June 15 special meeting and the June 29 emergency meeting were reviewed and approved.

Since none of the audience members could have attended the June 29 meeting, Reed-Polatty read the minutes for that meeting. Some highlights:

Some highlights of LaFontaine’s report:

Some highlights of the billing report for June:

The financial report submitted by Cross showed an operating account balance of $16,189, a debt service account balance of $3,602, and a contingency account balance of $1,500.

Lonergan reported that the Division of Local Affairs extended the end date for its contract with the district to fund infrastructure improvements from July 2005 to July 2006.

The board unanimously approved checks totaling $15,623 for a variety of bills including $4,566 for LaFontaine’s services; $2,500 to Henkle Drilling, leaving an outstanding balance due of $18,604; $2,500 to forensic auditor Betzer; $2,001 for electricity, which includes about $1,300 for the electricity used during the recent maintenance work on the Arapahoe well; $1,280 for part-time contract bookkeeper Anne Bevis’ services; and $1,250 to law firm Petrock & Fendel, leaving an outstanding balance due of $32,843.

Reed-Polatty noted that Betzer was engaged through law firm Petrock & Fendel, which owns the results of her forensic audit work.

Reed-Polatty reported that Guenther, Cross, and Betzer met with the state auditor on July 1 and presented Betzer’s report. She added that the state auditor said the district must submit audit narratives for 2002 and 2003 because the prior documents had forged auditors’ signatures.

Reed-Polatty noted that the water district is not currently mapping expenditures against the budget and is late with its 2004 audit, which was due June 30.

She added, "We need to think about 2005. We need to retain a management firm as soon as we can afford to. I don’t want to run an election (in May 2006) and get a budget ready."

She noted that there would be a savings on the district’s legal expenses, in that a contract district manager could probably answer many of the questions the board members currently ask the district’s attorneys.

Reed-Polatty reported that she had agreed to make a presentation at the SDA conference, Sept. 21-23. She said the district is viewed as "a poster child for what not to do."

Reed-Polatty asked for a motion to cover her expenses associated with attendance at the conference. The matter was tabled when the board realized that if Reed-Polatty abstained from voting on such a motion, there would not be a quorum.

Reed-Polatty reported that the district’s attorney, James Petrock, said the district must schedule a properly noticed public hearing on the proposed inclusion of LeRoy Schmidt’s 40-acre parcel.

As reported in the July issue of OCN, at the June meeting of the board Schmidt said he has a house on 40 acres with a formerly low-producing well that has now gone dry. He said he has no intention to subdivide the property; he would pay a tap fee, legal fees, and the cost of running pipe to his property, and he would transfer to the district the water rights associated with his property. He asked for a waiver from the district’s inclusion fee, which Lonergan said would be about $120,000.

At the June meeting, the board unanimously voted to enter into the temporary service agreement with Schmidt and to accept the inclusion petition for review.

At the July meeting, the board reviewed a proposed inclusion resolution prepared by Petrock. It made temporary service contingent on approval of the inclusion. Lonergan said he would revise the document to separate the arrangement for temporary water service from Schmidt’s request for inclusion in the district.

LaFontaine said the proposed 1-inch, 1,400-foot temporary service pipe to be buried a foot deep had not yet been installed because a temporary service agreement had not been signed. He said he would prepare a temporary service agreement and contact Schmidt.

District resident Ketch Nowacki announced that four people have volunteered to run for election to the board. He said Lonergan was on the board for 24 months during the alleged embezzlement of at least $315,000. He said, "Barbara [Reed-Polatty] and [former treasurer] Jeff Dull figured it out within 60 days." He requested that Lonergan resign to save the district the cost of conducting an election.

Lonergan said, "I agree with much of what you said. I feel responsible and would have resigned in December if the district had personnel in place. I will not run in 2006, if still on the board. I have been asked by the other board members to stay on the board for continuity and technical knowledge of the district." Lonergan said he would not resign at this time but said he would revisit the decision if the county certifies that the recall committee has gathered sufficient signatures to require that a recall election be held.

District resident Micheale Duncan reported that the recall committee has in three weeks gathered 225 signatures on the petition to recall Guenther and 215 signatures on the petition to recall Lonergan. She said the signature gathering effort is continuing. The recall committee has about one more month to gather 240 validated signatures required on each of the petitions to force a recall election.

Noting that the district’s rules and regulations allow for an enterprise fund, Nowacki asked what it had been used for and if it had borrowed any money. Bevis said, "There is no evidence it was ever used."

No response was given to Nowacki’s further question as to why the voters were not asked to approve the $45,000 loan obtained in 2004.

Dull asked why the anticipated income from the Raspberry Ridge development was shown in the meeting minutes as $120,000. Lonergan replied that the actual figure is $150,000, but the district plans to set aside $30,000 to cover the cost of running a service line to the subdivision. Lonergan noted that the developer will dig the trench for the service line.

Reed-Polatty added that the tap fees are not due until the final plat is approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

Reed-Polatty asked the board and audience members for their impressions of the presentations by SDMS and Wells. Dull said, "Both supply everything the district needs and more." Reed-Polatty said, "We have to get someone onboard."

In response to a question regarding the estimated loss calculated by the forensic auditor, Reed-Polatty said that the audit report is an element in the mediation, and the judge has ordered all parties not to disclose anything about the mediation.

Lonergan said that prior to the mediation, Betzer said her approach, given the condition of the district’s records, would be to estimate likely income and expenses for the district and from that estimate how much money is missing. He added that the civil suit filed by the district against Unger asks for restitution and damages to include the attorneys’ fees and the cost to recover or reconstruct the district’s records destroyed by Unger.

District resident Genelle Deavenport asked if the board might appoint Guenther to a vacancy on the board as happened before.

Lonergan said, "Tom really is sick and he doesn’t want to be on the board."

In soliciting volunteers for appointment to fill Guenther’s seat on the board, Reed-Polatty said, "We need people committed to putting in significant time and effort for the district."

The board unanimously voted to go into executive session to discuss confidential matters regarding individual billing issues.

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The Forest View Acres Water District normally meets the second Wednesday each month at 7 p.m. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 10. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to obtain the date, time, and location by calling the district at 488-2110.

View a photo of the FVAWD meeting

Below: Six-sections of the Monument Sanitation district holding tanks being installed at the new Trails End lift station to pump residential sewage to the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility on Mitchell Avenue. Each tank weighs 155,000 pounds and can store about 8 hours worth of wastewater at subdivision build out. Black adhesive gaskets form seal between sections. Photos by Jacob Morgan (not Jim Kendrick as stated in the paper)

Zoom in

The Monument Sanitation District (MSD) Board of Directors unanimously accepted the letter of resignation, which had been submitted July 18, by Director Jeremy Diggins. Diggins lost his eligibility to be a director when he sold his rental property on Washington Street, which lies within the district. He is not a resident of MSD or the town of Monument, though he continues to lease commercial space within the town and district on Front Street for his Coffee Cup Restaurant. The board will seek a replacement volunteer to fill the vacancy until the next election.

His letter noted, "It has been a privilege serving our community along side other dedicated citizens. I regret not being able to finish my term but hope the Board will continue to call on me as a citizen and business owner for any help they may need." During his tenure, Diggins’ in-depth knowledge of building permit and health code regulations and restaurant operations was a substantial asset to the board in its consideration of new commercial tap applications.

Diggins also volunteers for numerous community activities such as the Fourth of July Street Fair and the summer concerts in the park, donating the profits of his food sales at these events to town projects such as the Limbach Park band shell. He was also a member of the Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District board until he lost his eligibility for the same reason.

The board continued the refinement of the format of the monthly treasurer’s report from the district’s new accountant firm, Mason Russell West, to meet the new nationwide requirement for a "profit and loss" format. District Auditor Kenny Kresl of Bauerle and Company suggested that the annual depreciated asset value of the district’s one-third ownership of Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) should be reported monthly, as well as in the annual audit in the profit and loss section. Kresl noted that including joint facility and district infrastructure depreciation would give the appearance of a loss, in contrast to operating surpluses in previous years in the old format.

Tap fees for the month were $72,160, for new Trails End taps, increasing the year-to-date total to $201,520. Wicklund noted that specific ownership tax revenue would no longer come to the district once the district’s remaining bond payments are completed in 2½ years. There will be some more tap fees from the Village of Monument before the end of the year.

Kresl reviewed the 2004 draft audit he had prepared, which included WWTF joint venture depreciation. There were 49 new users, of which 46 were residential, two were light commercial industrial, and one was heavy commercial. End-of-year net assets were $4,608,324, using the revised equity method. Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District also uses the revised equity method, though Palmer Lake Sanitation District uses a different reporting method. Monument’s one-third net asset value for the WWTF is about $1.2 million; depreciation under the revised reporting method was about $865,000, while $2,086,756 of residual value was added. Direct operating losses of about $85,000 were mostly due to depreciation and more than offset by other income, with a net cash increase of about $50,000 for the year.

District Manager Mike Wicklund concurred with Kresl’s reported results of depreciation, which are required for future bond applications, even if they may "appear to make the district not look as financially successful as it did in previous years under the old reporting procedures."

Kresl praised the diligence and thoroughness of Accounts Administrator Marna Kennedy during the accounting method and district CPA turnover period of the past six months. He summarized by saying there were no items of concern and the staff was running the district effectively and efficiently.

The 2004 audit report was unanimously accepted by the board with a few minor typographical corrections still to be made. Kresl will forward the corrected audit report to the state and send five official copies to the district.

Wicklund invited the board members to attend a groundbreaking ceremony at the WWTF on July 25 for the new laboratory and administrative building. Directors from Woodmoor and Palmer Lake will also attend (see picture on page 11).

The single monthly reading for June copper concentrations in the effluent water discharged by the Tri-Lakes WWTF was 9 parts per billion, well below the temporary permit’s monthly average limit through the end of 2007, but slightly above the proposed permanent limit of 8.3 parts per billion that may apply after that date. The WWTF may have to be modified at great expense should this more stringent dissolved copper standard actually be put into effect.

The board unanimously agreed that it would not contribute $5,000 per month to a separate WWTF capital improvement fund as proposed by Palmer Lake Sanitation District for the annual JUC meeting agenda on Aug. 22. However, the board unanimously agreed that it will always have a substantial cash reserve on hand internally to immediately pay for its one-third contribution for any emergency repair or replacement of WWTF infrastructure in the future.

The district currently has cash reserves of about $1.5 million and plans to have $3 million in reserve at complete district buildout. This reserve should provide for accumulating interest income that would fund capital improvements after there are no more new tap fees to pay for that purpose.

Wicklund reported that the final design of the lift station required for the Trails End subdivision was completed. (Installation of the 155,000-pound concrete holding tanks began on July 26.) Trails End is below the elevation of the Tri-Lakes WWTF, and the subdivision’s wastewater cannot be delivered for treatment by gravity.

Wicklund reported that engineering consultant firm GMS was moving forward with final design of the eastern gravity portion of the Wakonda Hills inclusion project. This phase of the project would deliver wastewater by gravity to the existing Beacon Lite Road collection line. Although Zonta Properties, the developer of the vacant land directly south of Wakonda Hills, has until Aug. 1 to respond to MSD’s proposal to use the property for a gravity collection system for the other two-thirds of the Wakonda Hills subdivision, GMS will now begin to plan to have the rest of the subdivision’s wastewater transported by lifting stations to the district’s existing Beacon Lite collection line. The district had hoped that another third of the Wakonda wastewater could be gravity fed to the WWTF through the Zonta parcel’s collection system, saving the expenses of at least one lift station.

Zonta has not responded to the district’s proposal in any manner for the past several months. The district would forfeit free installation of Zonta sewer infrastructure if it does not give approval for connection of western Wakonda Hills collection lines through the parcel by Aug. 1. The inability to use the Zonta routing increases the cost of the Wakonda Hills inclusion by over $200,000; however, this cost would be more than offset by future collection of Zonta tap fees that would no longer be waived.

Wicklund hopes to have bids in hand for board evaluation for the first phase of Wakonda Hills sewer line construction by mid-September.

Work remains to be completed on the specific easement documentation that each of the subdivision’s homeowners must sign in order to have the district take over their private sewer line.

The board unanimously increased the director stipend from $75 to $100 per meeting and maximum total annual payment from $1,200 to $1,600 per year as permitted by recently passed state legislation. None of the four directors who voted for this rate increase can receive the higher payments until they are re-elected to the board, however. Director Ed Delaney is term limited.

The Department of Homeland Security will be paying for threat assessment evaluation and a three-day training program by the Water Environment Federation for district personnel affiliated with a wastewater treatment facility that processes between 2.5 million and 5.0 million gallons per day. Although the Tri-Lakes WWTF has this capacity (4.2 million gallons per day), the actual average treatment rate is less than 2.5 million gallons per day.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. The next meeting will be held on Aug. 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the district office at 132 Second St.

Below: Groundbreaking July 25 for the new Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) lab and administration building. (L to R): Kathleen Williams (Palmer Lake Sanitation District Board Chair), Bill Burks (WWTF operations manager), Skip Morgan (Monument Sanitation Board Chair), Todd Bell (PLSD board member), Chuck Robinove (MSD board member), Phil Steininger (Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District manager), Scott Eilert (WWTF plant operator). Photos by Jim Kendrick

At its regular board meeting on July 12, the board of the Palmer Lake Sanitation District announced changes it had made for future operation of the district. Duane Hanson, whose late wife Bonnie was part-time office manager for the district, will take over the newly created full-time district manager position. He has been part-time maintenance manager for the past six years. Monument CPA The district is seeking someone to fill the half-time position of office assistant to Hanson. Board Chair Kathleen Williams said part-time administrative assistant Janet Grau and her temporary part-time assistant Linda Dillon "moved on." after learning of Hanson’ s appointments during the July 12 meeting.

Hanson will review construction and development plans, do site inspections, solicit and evaluate contractor bids, and prepare budgets for the board. Other duties are still to be defined. Board member Todd Bell said his exact job description remains a "work in progress" due to the dramatic changes in the way Palmer Lake will be conducting day-to-day operations.

Bell said, "In light of the recent Forest View (Acres Water District) events, we have enabled a new process where criminal background checks are conducted through Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A background check was performed on Duane Hanson and all was clear. This will be a standard procedure on all employees, part-time and full-time." Bell also voluntarily underwent a similar CBI investigation, with no problem areas noted.

The board is spending a lot of time to get the district back on track. "Our primary goal is getting our accounting system in order for proper billing and accounting. We have a former contractor and part-time employee working on the accounting system to become acclimated to start bookkeeping right away. We are working with a variety of outside resources to rapidly get business back to normal, minimize impact on our customers, and meet
business objectives."

The next board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 9 in the Bonnie Hanson Room at the district’s office building, 120 Middle Glenway.

At the July 12 meeting, Phil Steininger, general manager for the Woodmoor District, announced he had been invited to serve on one of the river basin roundtables as recommended in Phase II of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI).

The board considered a new request for additional water for a small commercial development behind the BP station on Woodmoor Drive, and chose a contractor to build the new district warehouse adjacent to the Woodmoor office.

Board directors Jim Wyss and James Whitelaw were absent.

Hope Winkler, Woodmoor’s office manager, gave the financial update for the month in treasurer Wyss’ absence. She reported that income for the district was at 35 percent, with half the fiscal year behind them. Revenues from new development tap fees have been coming in more slowly than anticipated, but she expects the district to reach income projections as the summer building season progresses. Winkler remarked that the district had been at about the same percentage of income in 2004 and reassured members that the seemingly low figure was not a cause for concern.

Winkler said that most expenditures were within or slightly under budget. However, office expenses were slightly higher than anticipated, mainly due to the unexpected replacement of a computer hard drive that had crashed.

Benny Nasser briefed the board on the most recent meeting of the JUC, which took place the previous evening. The JUC consists of the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, the Monument Sanitation District, and the Palmer Lake Sanitation District, which jointly own and operate the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF).

Plans for the new laboratory and office building were submitted to the Regional Building Department on June 20, and the committee hopes to hold the official groundbreaking ceremony on July 18. Jessie Shaffer, district engineer, told the board that excavation of the foundation would probably begin close to that date and that he would give Steininger a firm date by the end of the week.

The location of the annual meeting of the three participating districts, scheduled for Aug. 22, has been shifted from the Palmer Lake Sanitation District office to the Woodmoor office. Woodmoor’s recording equipment is better able to pick up voices from all over the room; committee members decided it would be more expedient to move the meeting location rather than the recording system. Steininger reminded board members to submit any topics they wished to discuss during that meeting to him, as he would be putting together the agenda.

The JUC discussed setting aside a reserve fund for capital replacements. Todd Bell, member of the Palmer Lake Sanitation District board of directors, proposed that each district pay an additional $5,000 per month to be set aside in an accumulating fund to replace or repair equipment at the shared facility as necessary. At present, each district is assessed its portion of any emergency or planned expenditure on plant equipment on an as-needed basis. The idea is not new; similar proposals have been previously discussed. Bell agreed to prepare a formal proposal to present to the three districts at the annual meeting in August.

Committee members were asked to present the suggestion to their respective boards for consideration. Erin Smith, Woodmoor’s attorney, said that under the current contract, each district is required to pay its share of any costs associated with repair or replacement of equipment at the WWTF. However, any agreement made to set aside funds for future expenditures was unenforceable under the present contract. The board agreed to discuss the idea in executive session.

A contractor had approached the JUC requesting to purchase nonpotable water to spray on roadbeds to reduce dust. Steininger told Nasser and the Woodmoor board that since the JUC doesn’t own the water, but rather treats it for the districts, the contractor would need to purchase it from the districts. Mike Rothberg, consulting engineer with RTW, added that all nonpotable water users would also need to acquire the proper permits from the state to use reclaimed water before such a sale could be considered. Steininger said it would probably be more feasible to remove water from the stream instead and purchase effluent credits from one or more of the districts. He agreed to look into the request.

Nasser said that copper levels listed in the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) were within limits for the month. When the board questioned the status of evaluations to determine the level of copper that is safe for aquatic life, Rothberg replied that testing was still ongoing. So far, the tests support the temporarily relaxed standards granted to the WWTF by the state.

The committee then discussed a draft press release composed by Bell that was to prohibit Tri-Lakes-area sanitation customers from dumping chemicals into the sewer systems, including copper sulfate compounds intended to kill intruding tree roots. Such copper compounds may be partially to blame for the high copper readings at the WWTF.

The JUC had originally intended to create one release to cover all three districts. After discussion, the committee decided instead that each district should create its own notice addressing the various concerns presented in the original release. Nasser suggested that the word "pesticides" replace "chemicals," as the latter seemed too general. Other suggestions included publishing a list of acceptable substitutes to copper sulfate compounds. Additionally, local plumbers would need to be informed that copper compounds could no longer be used in the area.

Bell suggested that each district should provide an additional $5,000 to the already existing $30,000 "cushion" to ensure sufficient funds were always available to pay the WWTF’s bills on time. (A number of years ago, each district had contributed $10,000 to the JUC bank account.) No agreement was made at the JUC meeting.

Kerry Hicks, who seeks to relocate the Monument Car Wash to Highway 105 and Knollwood Boulevard, again appeared before the board to clarify a request made in June for excess water. Minor discrepancies between written documents and Hicks’ presentation had created some confusion about the exact amounts of water being requested.

District policy allocates ½ acre-foot of water per acre of land. An additional 0.4 acre-foot per acre of administrative excess water may be purchased without having to make a formal request before the board, if approved by the general manager.

Hicks told members he would like to purchase approximately 4.7 acre-feet of excess water over and above the maximum 1.413 acre-feet already available to his site. He also wants to reserve another 5 acre-feet; his estimates indicate he will only use about 2½ acre-feet yearly of that figure, but he told the board that he won’t have a more reliable use figure until the car wash is up and running. He anticipates the 5 acre-foot reserve would cover any expansion for the next 10 years.

Steininger asked that the agreement stipulate the intended use for the water. He stated that Hicks is requesting excess water for use primarily during nonpeak months; the car wash will be operating much more during winter, fall, and spring when demand for residential water is low, and commercial users are not irrigating. Should the business be sold or the use change significantly, Steininger wants to ensure that the board can reconsider the terms of the agreement.

The board will also consider granting an extension to the time limitation outlined in district policy, which states that Woodmoor and the petitioner must sign a contract within 60 days of the board’s approval of the request. Purchase of the site is contingent on the excess water agreement with Woodmoor, so Hicks will not close on the property for at least 90 days after the paperwork is signed.

Steininger told the board he wished to utilize executive session to discuss agreement negotiations involving the potential purchase of water.

The Colorado State Legislature passed a bill this year, HB05-1177, which provides for the permanent establishment of basin roundtables for discussion of water issues as part of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI). Members were to be chosen based on their water source and river basin drainage.

Though most of El Paso County drains into the Arkansas, a few northern areas drain into the South Platte basin. Consequently, El Paso County was assigned a seat in the South Platte River basin and Arkansas River basin roundtables, and a third seat in the Denver Basin groundwater roundtable. The county was asked to appoint three representatives, each of whom was required to reside within the basin they are to represent, but not necessarily within El Paso County.

Steininger told the board he had been invited to serve on one of the roundtables because he lives just over Monument Divide in the South Platte River basin. He asked the board’s permission to participate, as the appointment would take him away from the district on occasion. Steininger also made it clear that he would be representing all of El Paso County, not just the Woodmoor district.

Members felt that any time taken from his managerial duties would be well worth the advantages of participating, especially since, as a roundtable member, Steininger could keep the board current on the latest developments in water issues. The board agreed unanimously to allow his participation.

Steininger reported that fire hydrant maintenance for the year had been completed. All hydrants in the district have been oiled and operated to ensure that they are functional; four or five will need further adjustment and maintenance. Board president Jim Taylor suggested informing the Woodmoor Fire Department that all Woodmoor district hydrants had been tested and were operational; Steininger agreed.

Woodmoor staff recently recalibrated the gauge that measures the water level in Lake Woodmoor. Technicians noticed a discrepancy between the gauge readings and the visual appearance of lake depth, which prompted them to take survey measurements. According to GIS readings taken at the lake, the gauge, located in the wet well at the lake pump station, was found to read 4 feet lower than the actual level.

Rothberg reported that he was waiting for a final proposal from Timberline Electric and Controls Corporation on the CWTF expansion. Timberline will act as control and electrical subcontractor to the contractor selected to expand the structure. Approximately 60 percent of the design work has been completed. He intends to hold a meeting with Woodmoor staff and Timberline in the next seven to 10 days to go over the RTW’s design.

Smith reminded the board that a legal issue with U.S. Filter regarding the Trident treatment unit will be discussed in executive session.

Steininger told the board that three proposals for the new warehouse facility, ranging from $212,000 to $287,000, had been received. Further discussion regarding the proposals was reserved for executive session.

District engineer Jessie Shaffer reported that his update was essentially the same as last month’s.

Walters Commons: The water and sewer lines for Filing 1 are in place and waiting for acceptance by the district. Plans for Filing 2 are in review. Walters Commons will consist of multifamily homes and is located north of Higby and east of Lewis-Palmer High School.

Village Center at Woodmoor: The Village Center will consist of mixed residential and small commercial and is located off Highway 105. WED construction is presently raising manholes to pavement level on Filing 1. Water and sewer infrastructure plans for Filing 2 are being reviewed by the district.

Water Fill Station: Woodmoor is waiting for the Town of Monument to review plans for the station, in particular the entry to the site. The station will be located off Knollwood across from the Lutheran church. Shaffer is working on the design of the building and expects to submit plans for the board’s review within the next two months. Construction should begin in December or January, with a completion date before Jan. 31, 2006.

Misty Acres: The contractor has resumed work on the north half of Filing 1. Misty Acres is located near County Line Road east of the campground.

High Pines: The contractor is currently working on the infrastructure for Filing 2. High Pines is located on the southeast corner of County Line Road and High Pines Drive.

Water consulting firm Bishop and Brogden is evaluating potential sites for a new Arapahoe well for the district. The Walters family had discussed with Woodmoor the possibility of donating land and access across their property for a well site off Higby Road, but potential interference with other Arapahoe wells nearby has led Bishop and Brogden to investigate other locations. Interestingly, the well may be positioned outside Woodmoor district boundaries, as long as part of the well’s "circle of influence" (area around the well that is directly affected) lies within the district.

Though state, federal, and local laws already prohibit harassment falling under a wide range of categories, district personnel policy at present does not directly address the issue. Steininger had recently attended an insurance session sponsored by Special Districts Association Spring workshop during which anti-harrassment policies were briefly discussed. In following the suggestions presented, he would like to include wording that states harassment will not be tolerated and disciplinary action will be taken against any employee violating the policy. He distributed a general sample policy statement to members for comment. The board approved of the idea. Smith agreed to refine the wording and bring a policy statement back for the board’s acceptance.

Steininger told the board at a previous meeting that he felt the district’s cash reserves were large enough to consider putting some of it into longer-term investments. He collected rate comparisons from several institutions, and wanted further direction from the board. Members agreed to review his findings and discuss investment possibilities in executive session.

Board members discussed a written letter of request for excess water from CoReVet Investment group, LLC. The group wants additional water for its planned strip mall and two additional pad sites, which will be located on the former Sweet property, east of the BP station on Woodmoor Drive and north of Highway 105. The site is approximately 3.7 acres; district allocations allow for 1.85 acre-feet, with an additional 1.48 acre-feet of administrative excess water also available. They are requesting a total of 8.33 acre-feet, with approximately 5 acre-feet of that amount as excess water, which must be approved by the board.

Steininger told board members that if the request is approved, and the investment group or future purchasers of the other two sites construct larger buildings or sell to users with higher water consumption than anticipated, the owners of the buildings will have to submit new requests or stay within their allotments.

Taylor asked if the petitioners included irrigation estimates in their excess water requests. He questioned whether the board could influence the irrigation usage by requiring the owners to Xeriscape.

Steininger replied that the investors had used American Water Works Association tables to estimate water consumption, which calculates water use based on the type of business and square footage. He added that the board could incorporate their concerns over landscaping in the agreement.

Kirk Weiss and John Egan later appeared before the board as members and representatives of the investment group. Weiss told the board that the investors will be developing 16,000 square feet of retail/office space on the first pad and will offer the other two pads for sale. The group anticipates that a sit-down restaurant will eventually be constructed on one of the sites; the other will probably be developed as office space. The investors want to be able to offer the pad sites with water already attached.

Steininger asked if the company had talked to the Town of Monument about putting in a restaurant; Weiss replied that the land is outside Monument boundaries. He also informed board members that access would be off Woodmoor Drive, as issues with Preble’s meadow jumping mouse precluded any consideration of access from Highway 105. He also told the board that the company had already conducted a traffic impact study.

The board made no immediate decision on the request and agreed to consider it in executive session.

Smith asked if there were questions or comments related to the section she had distributed at the last meeting, which dealt with inclusions and fees. Member Ron Turner asked for clarification on inclusions, and whether the petitioner would have to reimburse the district should they decide to withdraw after being substantially into the process. Steininger answered that once the district had invested the equivalent of $5,000, it suspended work until the petitioner came forth with more cash, but costs to that point were probably unrecoverable. The board had no further questions or comments.

Smith said that she did not have the next section ready to hand out this month, but that it would be ready to distribute at the August meeting. She also told members they only had the last two technical sections left to complete.

The public portion of the meeting ended at 2:20 p.m., and the board went into executive session. They had several issues to discuss, including the bids for the new warehouse and the excess water requests. Steininger wished to get further direction on investments. The board also intended to talk about Palmer Divide Water Group issues, and JUC funding reserves.

After reopening the public session of the meeting, the board announced it had selected S.J. Diller Construction to build the new warehouse. Requests for excess water, one from Kerry Hicks for a new car wash, and another from Kirk Weiss and John Egan representing CoReVet Investment group, LLC for a small commercial development, were granted.

The next meeting of the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation board of directors will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. at the Woodmoor office, 1845 Woodmoor Dr. Meetings are normally held the second Tuesday of the month.

Below: At the Protect Our Wells meeting July 17, POW President Larry Stanley responds to a question from Judy Von Ahlefeldt, Publisher of the Black Forest News. Photo by John Heiser

An estimated 40 people attended the Protect Our Wells (POW) meeting at the Black Forest Community Center July 17. POW President Larry Stanley presided. The primary purpose of the meeting was to refine a presentation to be made at a El Paso County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) workshop August 4 at 1:30 p.m.

Prior to the review of the POW presentation, county commissioner Doug Bruce announced that he is keeping his pledge to vote against development projects where the infrastructure costs are not borne by the developer or those who purchase lots in the new development. He said the county’s present policies shift the cost for schools and other infrastructure needed for new developments to existing taxpayers. He said, "It is time to end subsidies for growth." He also vowed to uphold the county’s rule requiring demonstration of 300 years of water availability for all new developments. He added that the issue of water is one of many growth issues that need to be addressed.

The Denver Basin is a system of bedrock aquifers that extend from north of Denver to south of Colorado Springs. Unlike the common misperception of an underground lake, the water is held in the microscopic pore spaces within the porous rocks. The Denver Basin has supplied water since 1883.

Portions of the Denver Basin lie beneath the northern part of El Paso County east of the Front Range. The four Denver Basin bedrock aquifers—the Dawson, the Denver, the Arapahoe, and the Laramie-Fox Hills—supply most of the water for the Tri-Lakes area, all of the water for Black Forest, and much of the water for the Falcon and northeastern El Paso County areas. The city of Colorado Springs is considering increasing its use of Denver Basin water, especially during droughts. Water providers and private well owners in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Jefferson, Morgan, and Weld counties also draw water from the Denver Basin aquifers.

Many of the points included in the POW presentation came from presentations April 24, 2005 by hydrogeologist Dr. John Moore and March 14, 2004 by geologist Dr. Bob Raynolds. (See "Hydrogeologist confirms declining aquifer water levels," OCN, May 7, 2005 and "Geologist predicts deep aquifer water shortages within a decade," OCN, April 3, 2004 on the web at http://www.ourcommunitynews.org/v5n5.htm#pow and http://www.ourcommunitynews.org/v4n4.htm#pow).

During his 2004 presentation, Raynolds said an obstacle to confronting the problem of the declining water levels in the deep aquifers is that Front Range water providers are scattered and small. To help address that issue, local water providers have formed several organizations. One of those, the El Paso County Water Authority, was founded in 1998. It is composed of about 20 water system operators in El Paso County including the towns of Monument and Palmer Lake, the Donala Water and Sanitation District that serves Gleneagle, the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District intended to serve the Forest Lakes area west of I-25 near Baptist Road, the Triview Metropolitan District that serves Jackson Creek, and the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District.

The County Water Authority commissioned a water report intended to help members meet water demands through 2020. The report was issued in fall 2002 and is available on the county’s Web site at http://adm.elpasoco.com/planning/water_report.asp.

Protect Our Wells (POW), also known as the Denver Basin Aquifers Private Well Owners Association, is a nonprofit, citizen-based group formed to advocate the interests of private well owners. The group was formed about three years ago in response to concerns that the County Water Authority’s 2002 report failed to adequately address the prospects for private wells. POW’s goals are to advocate and promote the unified interests of private well owners at the local and state levels, gather information about the status of Denver Basin groundwater supplies and advocate their conservative use, and educate private well owners about Denver Basin groundwater.

Kathy Hare, a member of the board of directors of the Upper Black Squirrel Creek (UBS) Groundwater Management District, made a presentation on the UBS aquifer. Some of the highlights of her presentation: