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Ice harvest history represented in art wall

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Below: Tri-Lakes View’s Ice Harvest public art project has been installed on the side of the water treatment building on the corner of Beacon Lite and Second Street in Monument. The entire mural was hand-painted in reverse and constructed by artists Lisa J. Cameron and Tim Upham. Ice Harvest is designed to reflect the historical significance of ice harvesting from the lakes in the Tri-Lakes region. The photograph depicted in the mural was provided by the Palmer Lake Historical Society. Photo provided by Tri-Lakes Views. For more information, visit www.trilakesviews.org. For more art news, see our Art Matters column.

Sertoma wades through water issues

Each Saturday about 7:30 a.m., Monument Hill Sertoma meets to share breakfast at The Inn at Palmer Divide, discuss business, and consider issues pertinent to the community. On Oct. 6, Phil Steininger of Woodmoor Water and Sanitation (WWSD) was invited to talk about the area’s water supply.

Member Jim Taylor introduced Steininger and engineer Jessie Shaffer, who provided a presentation on water issues. Steininger, who has worked for WWSD for 23 years, said that it is one of many water providers in the area but that the issues were typical for water districts along the Front Range. He said that by 2020, census projections indicate a 29 percent population increase for the United States, with 49 percent of that growth expected to occur west of the Mississippi River. Colorado’s population is projected to increase to 2.5 million people, with the largest concentrations occurring along the Front Range. For water districts that are reliant on non-renewable sources of ground water, the issue becomes how to meet increasing demand with a diminishing supply of water.

Water districts in the Tri-Lakes area rely on the Denver Basin, surface water exchanges from the Monument Creek watershed and its tributary streams, and treated effluent. Steininger explained that the primary water is supplied from the Denver basin, an underground confined geologic formation. The basin is composed of four aquifer layers formed over millions of years. The most productive wells are in the Dawson and Arapahoe formations, where water is stored in interlocking pockets of coarse sand.

At a depth of about 1,000 feet, the Dawson aquifer is closest to the surface and is the only aquifer to receive some recharge. The second layer is the Denver aquifer, which has a depth of about 1,500 feet but because it is composed of discontinuous pockets of sand, water production rates are low. The third layer is the Arapahoe aquifer, with a depth of about 2,500 feet. It yields the most water but drilling wells to that depth is expensive and as more wells are drilled into the aquifer, yields decline due to water draw down and well-to-well interference. At a depth of 3,000 feet, the Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer is composed of interlocking pockets of fine sands and has low yields and poor water quality. Steininger said the water that is currently being supplied to Tri-Lakes residents from the Denver Basin is of good quality and drought tolerant.

Steininger said that ground water has met demand and will continue to be used as a source for residents in Tri-Lakes, but officials were beginning to see production declines. He noted that the demand for water between 1995 and 2020 in the Tri-Lakes region is projected to increase by 280 percent. Steininger emphasized that while water levels are beginning to show a decline, the situation was not dire, and home values were not in jeopardy.

Steininger explained that water providers have recognized for many years that ground water is a finite resource and that the cost to bring it to the surface and treat it will escalate exponentially as it becomes necessary to drill wells deeper into the Denver Basin. In an effort to avoid higher costs or future shortages, Steininger said that water districts are acting responsibly and are developing a "Community-wide Integrated Water Plan" under the umbrella of the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority (PPRWA).

Steininger explained that water districts have the responsibility to meet peak demand for water. Peak demand is based on the day the most water is used, which occurs during the summer when residents irrigate. This use determines the amount of water that must be available all year to meet residents’ needs. Steininger said that the average household uses 243 gallons per day during winter months but during the summer, when residents irrigate, the demand for water more than triples.

In an effort to level off peak demand, area water providers have implemented an "odd-even" demand management program that restricts irrigation to certain days of the week. Because annual average demand is typically one-third of peak demand, reducing high demand will extend the life of the resource and help contain the cost of delivering it. Shaffer said the cost of meeting peak demand includes drilling new wells, installing pipeline, and building additional infrastructure for water treatment that all translates into higher water bills for consumers.

Steininger emphasized that ground water will remain an integral source of water but that it alone will not be affordable or in adequate supply for the future. He said that renewable water is the long-term solution. He showed a graph that indicated the cost relationship of well water versus renewable water that indicated that at some point, drilling and treating ground water will become more expensive than bringing surface water into the area. Steininger said the call for action was to develop and deliver a sustainable and cost-effective water source while maximizing the practical use of existing resources and infrastructure. He said the districts were moving in that direction.

1. Demand management: As previously mentioned, water districts have already begun designating an odd-even demand management program. Steininger said that this was one part of WWSD’s active demand management program, which in addition targets reduction of unaccounted-for water and provides rebates to customers for new purchases of water-saving appliances. WWSD has also developed a passive conservation program that includes information and education. He said that the district had given community classes on xeriscape gardening, planted a demonstration garden at the south treatment plant, and holds an annual poster contest for elementary schools located within the district’s boundaries.

2. Water policy: WWSD operates under three water allocation policies. The first policy allows for ½ acre-foot per 1 acre of land in an effort to ensure that water will be available for late developers. The second policy bases tap fees on a fair share of water replacement cost and accounts for future more expensive water. The third policy is a tiered service rate structure where customers are billed at a higher rate when they fall into one of the high-use tiers.

3. Cooperative infrastructure and resource planning: Steininger said PPRWA was conducting a study, which will analyze potential efficiencies in the area’s existing supply system. He said that PPRWA was also investigating availability of additional water sources, including renewable surface water from sources like the lower Arkansas River and cluster satellite well fields in places like the Greenland Ranch or farther east. Once an alternative supply of water has been identified and secured, the issue then becomes one of water delivery and storage. Steininger compared these steps to a three-legged stool where the first leg is the source, the second leg is the delivery system, and the third leg is the way the water is stored, such as in a reservoir.

Steininger said the availability of Denver Basin groundwater is diminishing and will continue to diminish even without additional growth. He added that supplying future water to meet the area’s needs requires planning as well as the proactive support of the community.

At the Oct. 3 meeting, Jerry Jacobson, the Academy Water and Sanitation District’s operator, reported that the state had informed him that the district’s water exceeded the maximum contaminant level for trihalomethane, a byproduct of disinfectants. However, on Oct. 16, he called OCN with an update from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which had informed him that it erred in its calculations of the annual average and that the district’s water is actually in compliance with state standards.

Trihalomethane is formed when chlorine reacts with organic carbon, Jacobson said. Organic carbon develops from a natural process. The August 2007 levels had spiked since August 2006, triggering the initial concern.

While higher than normal, the numbers must be monitored quarterly for a full year before it can be determined if the amount is in violation of state standards. So the district will begin quarterly monitoring for trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. Previously, testing had been done once a year.

The government standard is .080 milligram/liter, or 80 parts per billion, and is determined by calculating a running yearly average. Academy’s August reading was .086 mg/L. However, Jacobson said results for testing done on Oct. 16 indicated a substantially lower reading, .0317 mg/L. That changes the running average to .059 mg/L.

Jacobson said he had suspected the shallow well was where the problem was, because it would be more susceptible to increases in total organic carbon. The level of chlorine residual and the amount of time water is stored in the tanks can also affect the levels.

"We had limited the use of the shallow wells during this time and the (new) test results would indicate that we will continue operating in that way," he said. "The lower test results also indicate that we can expect to maintain compliance through the remaining sampling period." 

Though the immediate fix is "to reduce our dependence on the shallow well" and use the deep well, he said that long-term, they would be looking at installing additional treatment.

During the next year, if the levels meet state regulations, the district can then request a reduced monitoring schedule.

Coincidentally, the state Department of Health recently implemented new rules that require districts to continuously monitor residual chlorine. Academy will need to purchase equipment for $4,000 that will test the chlorine in treated water every 2½ minutes. Previously, water has always had to be tested for chlorine residual, just not continuously.

Jacobson said he would need to find out the deadline for compliance. If it can wait until merger negotiations with Donala Water and Sanitation District are settled, then it would save the district $4,000; if not, the board will need to purchase it.

Jacobson also reported that water loss this month was 14 percent, compared to 5.8 percent last month. He wasn’t sure what caused the discrepancy, although flushing hydrants could have contributed to it.

Treasurer Walter Reiss presented the figures for the 2008 budget, and started off by showing a shortfall of around $105,000. After discussion about where to cut back on next year’s spending, the board reduced the shortfall amount to $62,000. But there is still no way to cover costs without rate increases —through service charges or water rate increases, or both. Because of the additional costs in keeping the system operational, both increases "can be justified," said board President Richard DuPont. "There have been increases that we’ve been subsidizing."

The service fees had decreased six years ago, and the only water rate increase has been the creation of a tiered system tied to use, which encourages conservation.

There would likely be a combination of raises in both fee areas. For example, after a $10 service fee increase was suggested, the district’s attorney, Paul Murphy, suggested a water rate increase of $1.50 per 1,000 gallons. By way of comparison, Jacobson noted that currently, for 5,000 gallons per month, Academy residents pay $45 and Donala residents pay $50. "So if our rates go up, we’ll be more expensive than Donala," Jacobson said.

There were no final decisions made on the numbers, but residents should prepare for an increase in rates.

IGA dates likely will be pushed back: DuPont said that if the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Donala is agreed upon, his recommendation is to implement it Jan. 1, 2009, instead of July 2008. "I think we need some time to see what’s best for the community," he said. "I think we need to tell Donala we’re still working on this."

After Jacobson said he still didn’t have an estimate for a new wastewater treatment facility, board members said they needed to get a commitment from someone to provide that estimate. So far, no professional has been paid to provide this information. DuPont recommended that $1,000 be set aside to pay an engineer to provide that figure, and the board approved this motion.

Director Ron Curry said that Donala deserved some kind of answer soon, in order to free that district to set its 2008 budget, as all special districts including Academy must do and submit to the state by mid-December.

Jacobson said, "I would encourage you to meet with Donala and talk with them. There might be things that come to light if we talked. I think we’ve been going for a couple of months without a clear understanding of what’s expected."

The board decided it will try to initiate a meeting with Donala, involving a few members from each board, not the entire boards.

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The Academy Water and Sanitation District board usually meets on the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Wescott fire station on Sun Hills Drive.

Below: Oct. 17 - Donala board president Ed Houle presents Employee of the Quarter award to Betsy Bray. Seated at the left is board member Dale Schendzielos. Photo by John Heiser

At the Donala Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors meeting October 17, the board unanimously approved conservation rebates proposed by Dana Duthie, general manager of the district. The rebates are as follows:

The rebates apply to upgrades made by district residents after January 1, 2008. To receive the rebates, residents must submit a letter and documentation to the district.

Board president Ed Houle and board members Dennis Daugherty, Dick Durham, Tim Murphy, and Dale Schendzielos were all present for the October 17 meeting.

Duthie reported that the PPRWA at its meeting October 16 approved a non-binding cooperation term sheet with INVenergy for use of water from their planned well field on land in Douglas County owned by Spruce Mountain Ranch & Cattle. Duthie said the well field would be located about 5 miles north of County Line Road. The adjudicated water rights amount to 1,139 acre-feet (372 million gallons) per year from the Denver aquifer, 1,081 acre-feet (353 million gallons) per year from the Arapahoe aquifer, and 386 acre-feet (126 million gallons) per year from the Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer. The total is approximately 2,600 acre-feet (850 million gallons) per year. The water from the well field would be delivered to the PPRWA in the vicinity of Palmer Lake. Which districts would have access to the water is still being debated.

After using the water, the PPRWA would guarantee to deliver an equal amount of water to the point on Fountain Creek where the water would be diverted for use in the combined-cycle power plant to be operated by Squirrel Creek Energy (SCE). According to the term sheet, SCE would pay PPRWA $155,000 for developing an operating agreement and would pay the operating and maintenance expenses associated with the system. The PPRWA would make the needed upgrades to the member districts’ infrastructure and sell SCE reuse water from other sources at cost.

According to the term sheet, the operating agreement is to be finalized by March 31, 2008 with delivery of water by January 31, 2009.

Duthie said, "It’s not a done deal." He noted that one of the Douglas County commissioners is adamantly opposed to the idea and Douglas County might try to block the project.

He added that managing the project would pose administrative problems for the PPRWA.

Duthie reported that the PPRWA also approved a memorandum of intent with LAWCD to investigate creation of a "super ditch company" to take advantage of unused water rights resulting from fallowing of farmlands. One of the stated goals is to provide PPRWA member districts with up to 15,000 acre-feet (4.9 billion gallons) per year of reliable, renewable water.

Duthie presented two versions of the 2008 budget for the district: one assuming the proposed merger with the Academy Water and Sanitation District (AWSD) is approved by voters and the other assuming the merger does not occur. Total projected annual revenue without the merger is $11.5 million including $1.5 million from water sales, $790,000 from sewer service, and $1.2 million from property taxes. The merger version of the budget projects $300,000 in additional revenue from AWSD, $100,000 in additional water sales revenue, and $20,000 in additional sewer service revenue.

Donala’s 2008 expenses for operations and administration are projected at $3.7 million without the merger and $3.9 million with the merger.

Capital project expenses are projected at $7.75 million of which $7 million are for the continuing wastewater treatment plant expansion.

The projected ending total fund balance is $10.4 million, about the same as in prior years.

A hearing on the budget will be held at the board’s November 29 meeting.

Comparing September 2007, which had 6 rain days, to September 2006, which had 11 rain days, Duthie said, "In every case, those with ET (evapotransporation) controllers used more water this year." Noting that the ET controllers are good for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it system, he added that the system sends the wrong message to other residents because it causes watering on days that are restricted under the rationing program. He added that he wants to wait until after the irrigation season next year before drawing any final conclusions on the ET controller program.

Following the public meeting, the board went into executive session to discuss personnel, negotiations, and water purchase issues.

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The Donala board will hold its next regular meeting on Thursday, November 29 at 1:30 p.m. at the Donala office, 15850 Holbein Drive. Meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of each month. The district’s Web site is at www.donalawater.org.

Forest View Acres Water District’s contract management company, Special District Management Services (SDMS), and its contract water operations company, Community Solutions, Inc. (CSI), are terminating their respective contracts with the district effective November 15.

At a special meeting Oct. 19, the board selected Community Resources Services (CRS), based in Aurora, to take over management of the district. The board held an executive session with CRS President Joel Meggers and Senior Manager Sue Blair at the end of the Oct. 25 regular monthly meeting to negotiate specific aspects of the services contract. Prior to going into executive session, the board unanimously voted to continue the meeting to Friday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. at the Monument Sanitation District boardroom, 130 Second Street, in Monument.

The board of the Forest View Acres Water District met four times in October:

The district’s board consists of President Rich Crocker and directors Ann Bevis, Chris Monsen, Barbara Reed-Polatty, and Eckehart Zimmermann.

Lisa Johnson, SDMS district manager, has served as secretary at the board meetings.

Mike Bacon of CSI has served as the district’s contract operations manager.

Crocker reported that solicitation for a new operations firm is expected to yield three proposals. He said the deadline for proposals had been extended from October 1 to October 3. Reed-Polatty reported that she had contacted five management firms and talked with two. In order to discuss the anticipated proposals, the board unanimously voted to continue the meeting to Friday, October 5. Zimmerman was absent on Sept. 27.

The board reconvened the continued meeting at 9 a.m. in the Monument Sanitation District boardroom. All board members were present. They went directly into executive session on negotiations regarding contracts for district management and water operations at 9:06 a.m. After coming out of executive session at 10:46 a.m., the board unanimously approved a motion to make additional inquiries to clarify the proposals received. They also approved a special board meeting for Oct. 12 and then adjourned.

The board held a special meeting at 11:30 a.m. in the Monument Sanitation District boardroom. The absences of Crocker and Monsen were excused. The board went directly into executive session on negotiations at 11:40 a.m. to interview Meggars and Blair of CRS. The board adjourned without taking any actions after coming out of executive session at 12:49 p.m.

The board again held a special meeting at 11:30 a.m. in the Monument Sanitation District boardroom. The absence of Reed-Polatty was excused. The board unanimously approved a proposal from Aqueous Solutions, Inc. for removing and replacing two secondary filters at the district’s surface water treatment plant. Aqueous will also install a new manifold and replace the media in all the filters under a contract not to exceed $36,351.

Bevis and Zimmerman presented the results of their previous interview with CRS. The board discussed CRS’ pricing schedule and the experience and expertise of its staff. The board unanimously approved a motion to engage the company in a services contract.

The board then went into executive session on negotiations. After coming out of executive session at 12:25 p.m. the meeting was adjourned with no further action or votes taken.

At the start of the meeting, Crocker introduced CRS President Joel Meggers and Senior Manager Sue Blair and said they were there "to see how we run the meetings and talk about transitions." CSI water operator Mike Bacon was absent due to a family emergency.

Reed-Polatty asked Johnson for information on numerous calls two customers had made to SDMS. She wanted to know what kinds of issues were raised by these customers since "there was a lot of time spent" to find the answers. Johnson said she would e-mail her the information since someone else typically answers questions from customers. Reed-Polatty also asked for a list of customers who were delinquent in their payments and nearing "the stage of cutting off water."

The board unanimously approved monthly payments totaling $38,935. Johnson called the list of payments her "preliminary final billing" for the district. The final SDMS billing was $9,491.28 and final CSI billing was $5,262.50. Johnson added that there will be a few more transitional bills submitted by SDMS to the district before Nov. 15 when CRS takes over.

Reed-Polatty noted that accounts receivable for the enterprise fund for the past month were higher than average, about $132,000 versus about $54,000 for July and August. Johnson said she would e-mail the information to Reed-Polatty.

The board postponed approval of the third quarter financial report until the next meeting, when this requested additional information is available. The board unanimously approved scheduling a workshop meeting for Nov. 9 at Monument Sanitation District at 10 a.m.

Bevis distributed an updated third draft of the 2008 budget and asked board members to review and comment on the changes. The board postponed further discussion of the 2008 budget until the Nov. 9 workshop. The public hearing on the 2008 budget will be held at the next regular board meeting Nov. 28.

District resident Genelle Deavenport asked for a discussion of district resident access to the well on Penny Nevins’ property if Nevins arrived at the meeting later in the evening. However, Nevins did not attend.

Executive session discussions of the district management and water operation contract negotiations and the lawyer’s update on the settlement for the Wilde property were deferred to the end of the public meeting.

Resident Alan Longshore advised the board that he still disagreed with the legal advice the board had received on Sept. 27 and the board’s decision to hold him responsible for a bill from the district totaling about $10,000 for repairs to the saddle tap that serves his house. Longshore said the break was 200 feet from his property, he did not own the portion of the pipe that had broken which was in fact district infrastructure, that the "vast majority of El Paso County water providers" take responsibility for all infrastructure between the water main and the customer’s curb stop, and that district residents do not know they are responsible for these types of costs.

The district’s attorney Paul Rufien said Longshore had presented no new facts that would alter his legal opinion that the district has interpreted its rules and regulations in the past to place responsibility on customers to pay for all repairs between the district’s water main and the house. There are clear precedents for this interpretation.

Crocker discussed two previous incidents where the precedent was set for residents to be responsible for repair costs between the water main and curb stop.

Resident Tom Thieme said it had always been his understanding that the regulations state that residents own the entire pipe from the saddle connection to the water main to the house.

Resident Susan Gates noted that 10-12 other residents in Sundance Estates paid for curb stop repairs in the past.

Longshore said the board acted as if it was their responsibility to repair it and should have offered him the opportunity to get three bids for the repair or make it himself.

Rufien advised the board that RG Engineering Consultants had provided a draft exhibit for listing scope of services and the categories of expected performance for a draft contract for the consultant’s comments. Johnson said she would assemble a complete draft agreement and e-mail it to board members for review and approval prior to sending the completed document to RG Engineering. Crocker asked Johnson to e-mail the documents to board members the next morning so a final decision on the amount to budget in 2008 for this contract could be finalized by Nov. 29.

Reed-Polatty said she had completed a draft copy of the amendment required for the modified 1985 water agreement with the Nevins family. She said she would e-mail it to the other board members for review and comment. Reed-Polatty will consolidate these comments, meet with Rufien to finalize the proposal, and then schedule a meeting with Penny Nevins.

Johnson advised the board that the district’s Dawson well permit was to expire on Oct. 30 because no pump is installed in the well. The permit fee is $100. Rufien said that the risk of letting the permit expire was minimal. There was consensus to let the permit expire rather than try to install a pump in the next 5 days.

Crocker reported that three companies had made proposals for the water operations contract:

The operations report for September showed that the district’s surface plant produced 1.45 million gallons, averaging 49 gallons per minute over 19 days. The district’s Arapahoe well produced 1.25 million gallons averaged 117 gallons per minute over 9 days. The net monthly production was 2.7 million gallons.

Water sales for August were shown as 1.9 million gallons, with a 20 percent loss.

The loss for the first nine months of the year totaled 5.8 million gallons or 29.8 percent of the net production of 17.3 million gallons.

The board then unanimously voted to continue the meeting to Friday, October 5.

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The regular board meetings are usually held on the fourth Thursday of each month. However, due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 29, 6:00 p.m. at Tri-Lakes district station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley). Those wishing to attend should check the date, time, and location by calling SDMS at (800) 741-3254 or 488-2110.

The district’s Web site is www.fvawd.com.

Parker AG, the contractor that de-waters and hauls solid wastes away from the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility every 27 months, offered a lower-cost alternative to building a dedicated sludge storage tank to control the concentration of treated wastes pumped from the sludge lagoon to Parker AG’s filter press.

The Joint Use Committee (JUC) had considered installing a new 150,000-gallon concrete sludge tank in 2008, but may not have to do so if this alternative proves acceptable. Use of this tank would avoid a capital investment of about $300,000 in the draft 2008 facility budget— approximately $100,000 for each of the three owning special districts. There would still be a much smaller cost for hauling and renting the portable Parker AG tank.

The three-member Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility Joint Use Committee consists of one director each from the boards of the three special districts that own the facility in equal one-third shares: the Monument and Palmer Lake Sanitation Districts, and the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District.

Director Chuck Robinove, the alternate JUC member for Monument, represented Monument Sanitation District. JUC Board Chairman Lowell Morgan was absent. Jim Whitelaw, Woodmoor’s JUC alternate, filled in for Benny Nasser, Woodmoor’s JUC representative who was absent. Todd Bell, Palmer Lake’s JUC representative, presided as chairman during Morgan’s excused absence.

Facility manager and plant operator Bill Burks said that Parker AG has a portable 18,000-gallon tank that it could bring to the facility at the south end of Mitchell Avenue. Use of this portable tank to hold sludge pumped from the facility’s sludge lagoon would provide an alternative method of controlling the concentration of solids in the sludge at 4 percent for final treatment and disposal.

Currently the dedicated clarifier tank for the northern aeration basin is used to hold treated sludge pumped from the sludge lagoon. The sludge concentration level is adjusted in the clarifier, a process it is not specifically designed to perform, before it is pumped into the adjacent Parker AG portable filter press, mounted on a 50-foot trailer.

However, temporary use of the northern clarifier as a simple storage tank requires Burks to temporarily shut down the northern aeration basin, which significantly changes the balance of the aerobic microorganisms that live by digestion of the wastes delivered to the facility from each of the three districts. Many die and settle to the bottom of the basin and have to be replaced by reproduction when northern basin operations are resumed. It takes some time to grow new organisms to replace those lost during the temporary shutdown.

When the concentration of the sludge is set at the desired amount, the sludge is pumped from the clarifier to Parker AG’s portable filter press. The filter press squeezes nearly all the remaining water out of the processed sludge, leaving a concentrated mixture that is safe to use directly as agricultural fertilizer. This de-watered mixture is dumped into large Parker AG trailers by the filter press and 18-wheelers deliver it to nearby fields.

The north clarifier is used as a receptacle for controlling dilution because it is adjacent to the facility parking lot, which is used for loading Parker AG’s 18-wheel transport vehicles. Before copper concentration became an issue, Burks often operated the Tri-Lakes facility using only one basin during low load periods to reduce electrical costs for the large air pumps that continuously blow air into the lagoons below the surface, similar to a home aquarium. The microorganisms that digest the wastes need the air.

However, Tri-Lakes cannot now meet the new very tight copper restrictions without having both aeration basins operating as close to peak efficiency as possible. It takes 30-45 days for Burks to stabilize the balance of aerobic digestion processes in the north aeration basin and clarifier, after they have been shut down for a month for sludge removal. Several copper samples must be taken to meet state requirements during this period of microorganism regeneration and substantially degraded treatment efficiency.

Burks and consultant engineer Mike Rothberg of RTW Engineering Inc. had previously advised the board that even with optimum performance, the facility may not be able to meet tighter copper removal standards that were supposed to have been put in place in 2007. This period of treatment instability is no longer acceptable due to tighter requirements for copper removal that have been proposed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to meet more restrictive EPA standards. The copper readings would be well above the tighter minimums during this transition period and would generate violations that could lead to fines of up to $28,000 per day.

The facility received a temporary waiver on the tighter standards for 2007 due to problems in accurately testing samples of wastewater and incomplete data on the amount of copper that is toxic to microscopic aquatic life in Monument Creek below the point where treated wastewater is dumped into the stream. However, the state proposed even tighter standards for test results on individual effluent samples and average values as well to begin in 2008 rather than in 2010, when the next five-year permit period begins.

In accordance with negotiations with the state on the copper limit waiver, the facility will have 24 tests performed by ACZ Labs of Steamboat Springs during the rest of 2007 and all of 2008 to determine which method is more accurate for predicting toxicity—potentially dissolved copper levels using the biotic ligand model that has been used since 2004, or some other combination of metals levels. GEI Consulting will assist Burks and RTW engineering with the revised regime of environmental testing and analysis and propose a new toxicity standard to the state prior to expiration of the current facility discharge permit at the end of 2009. ACZ will test for:

Monument Sanitation District Manager Mike Wicklund reported that the district and Town of Monument had agreed to split the cost (a maximum of $70,000, or $35,000 each) for installing a caustic soda (calcium carbonate) injection system at the town’s water treatment plant at Second Street and Beacon Lite Road. Annual caustic soda purchases would cost only a few thousand dollars, though no specific estimate has been obtained to date.

Adding caustic soda, a component of many popular food products and a common water treatment chemical, to water from town wells 3, 8, and 9 may help reduce corrosion of the inside of copper water pipes in homes and commercial buildings. This treatment may also line the interior surface of copper water pipes and reduce the amount of copper ions that leach into drinking water and then into the Monument Sanitation District’s sewer system. The system is projected to be operational by January or February. The town will change its building code to eliminate installation of copper water pipes in new construction.

Woodmoor treats all its water with caustic soda, while Palmer Lake only treats part of its water supply.

If this method of controlling copper concentrations in treated water discharged to Monument Creek is unsuccessful, the next step would be installing far more expensive de-mineralization equipment in 2009 at the Tri-Lakes facility before the current discharge permit expires. The installation cost would be about $2 million, with an annual operating cost of $500,000 thereafter.

The copper level in the facility’s discharged effluent for July was 6 parts per billion (PPB), significantly lower than average, perhaps due to dilution caused by higher flows in the summer. The new state standard calls for a maximum average of only 8 PPB beginning in 2008, but it would be waived for a year until the start of 2009. The current maximum allowable average copper concentration, under a temporary waiver for 2007 and 2008, is 24.8 PPB. If the waiver had not been approved, the permit limit for 2007-09 would have been 8.7 PPB on average.

Burks reported that he had hired Mike Ortiz, an apprentice electrician, to fill the previously vacant third facility operator position. Platt will obtain appropriate licenses for plant operation in the near future. The districts will pay for his education, training, and testing for the required certifications.

The directors approved and signed an easement agreement with adjacent property owners to gain access to the west side of Monument Creek by the plant’s discharge pipe to stabilize the banks of the stream. The stabilization project will cost about $95,000, the lowest of three bids received.

The committee agreed to hold its annual meeting on Dec. 20 at Monument Sanitation District. This meeting is for all the board members of each of the districts. Monument will host a Christmas Party for the directors and all the staff members of each of the districts immediately after this short meeting at the adjacent Shani’s Café.

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The next meeting of the JUC will be at 10 a.m. on Nov. 12 at the facility conference room, 16510 Mitchell Ave. Meetings are normally held on the second Tuesday of the month. Information: 481-4053.

On Oct. 18, engineering consultant Roger Sams of GMS Inc. gave the Monument Sanitation District board and staff an overview of his efforts to date to seek outside funding to help pay part of the costs of extending the district’s collection system into the Wakonda Hills subdivision. District Manager Mike Wicklund discussed the conclusion of negotiations with the Town of Monument to split the cost of adding a caustic soda injection system to the town’s water treatment plant to try to reduce the amount of copper ions leaching from the interior surfaces of copper water pipes.

Director Bob Kuchek’s absence was excused.

At the direction of the board, Sams had first submitted an application in late 2006 for 2007 state funding to pay for part of the costs for installation of the second and third of three phases of a sanitary sewer collection system in Wakonda Hills. The district paid all costs for installing the first phase of the system, including $375,000 in 2002 for the 12-inch interceptor line along the paved portion of Beacon Lite Road north of Highway 105 and $835,000 in 2006 for 5,000 feet of 8-inch collection line in the eastern portion of the development. No state loans or grants were used for this construction. Sams renewed the district’s application for 2008 in summer 2007.

The application is used by the state to annually determine eligibility for a subsidized loan from the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund or a state grant from the Wastewater Treatment Grant Program. The project is eligible for funding through federal Clean Water Act programs under the category for elimination of documented failing individual septic disposal systems (ISDSs) by connecting to an existing facility or constructing a new facility. The total Wakonda Hills project cost is estimated to be $2,925,100.

Sams said that this documentation had to be in place to be eligible for state grants or loans for the latter phases of the expansion. The application he submitted summarized the scope of the project and justified why the state should include it in its annual list of eligible proposals. These types of applications are typically supported by a study or preliminary engineering reports that document the substandard performance that is to be corrected.

Sams reviewed portions of the "Narrative Project Description" in the application:

The project was included in the state’s Intended Use Plan for these two funding programs as a Category 1 proposal, the highest category. Sams added that many projects are approved, noting that Wakonda Hills was listed on page 9 of a 13-page single-spaced table of approved projects. Within Category 1, Wakonda Hills is favored due to its small size (under 1,000 homes) and the tight copper removal compliance schedule for the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility (see JUC article for more details on the copper requirement), but not helped by the relatively low percentage of annual income used by Wakonda Hills property owners to pay for sewer costs if the project is approved. Wakonda Hills’ median household income is slightly above the state average.

The first use of outside funding from the revolving loan program—at 80 percent of the existing interest rate for this type of construction loan—would be used to prepare an environmental assessment, very detailed budget projections and construction documents, and a complete sanitary survey on the failure of the development’s septic systems and the effect on Dawson aquifer wells. These steps would take about nine months, followed by construction of about a year. The latter phases are more complex than the phase completed in 2006 due to the need to construct two lift stations to serve the remaining homes.

Sams suggested that the district ask for a separate planning grant for the project from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. He added that none of the expenses incurred by the district for Wakonda Hills before any funding is awarded would qualify for reimbursement. Many of the required documents for future funding may already be available from the county.

Sams also suggested that the board consider conducting an income survey of all the homes in Wakonda Hills and determining whether higher monthly rates are needed in Wakonda Hills to pay for operation of the two required lift stations.

Sams said a loan is a better option for the district than a construction grant due to the differing requirements and constraints of the separate programs. The revolving loan would be paid from sewer service fees collected from Wakonda Hills.

There was a lengthy discussion of numerous technical details of the application, approval, and implementation process as well as a discussion of alternatives for gaining political support for this proposal.

The board unanimously approved $5,000 for Sams to proceed with gathering additional information and documentation for the advance planning grant application and preparation of a preliminary engineering report.

Wicklund reported that an agreement had been negotiated with the Town of Monument on Sept. 25 to split the costs for installation of a caustic soda injection system at the town’s water treatment plant at Second Street and Beacon Lite Road. This plant treats drinking water from town wells 3, 8, and 9. Operation of the injection system is to begin in January or February. The board approved spending up to $35,000 for its half of the installation cost. The board directed the staff to have the district’s attorney, Larry Gaddis, draft an intergovernmental agreement with the town on future payments of construction and operation costs for the caustic soda system.

Wicklund discussed the changes in the latest draft of the 2008 district budget. He highlighted the ambiguity of how to categorize a budget expense in the 2008 Tri-Lakes facility budget for sandblasting the interior of the facility’s clarifiers and recoating them with a new layer of coal tar. The last time the coal tar was applied to the interior surfaces was 11 years ago. The language in the Joint Use Agreement among the Monument and Palmer Lake Sanitation Districts and the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District does not specifically define maintenance or refurbishment actions.

The cost of taking the clarifiers off line to sandblast and apply a new layer of coal tar is $39,000. If it is called a capital cost due to substantially extending the life of these clarifiers as capital assets, the costs are divided equally among the three districts. However, if the cost is deemed to be a simple operational repair or replacement, then the cost is divided proportionally by the volume of wastewater each district sends to the plant and the amount of treatment required. If this is deemed an operational expense, then Woodmoor would pay roughly 60 percent of the cost and Monument and Palmer Lake would pay roughly 20 percent each. Another complication is that any repair or replacement over $2,500 is defined as a capital cost.

Gaddis advised the staff that the cost could be categorized as a capital or operational cost in the JUC budget, based on the wording in the Joint Use Agreement. Even if it is called an operational cost in the 2008 JUC budget, Monument could categorize it as a capital cost for 2008.

The board voted unanimously to direct Chairman Lowell Morgan to vote to categorize the costs for the coal tar application as a capital cost at the November JUC meeting and to state that the final decision on this specific cost does not set a precedent for these kinds of decisions. There was consensus that the JUC should consider revising the language in the Joint Use Agreement to eliminate this ambiguity to prevent future disputes over inconsistent categorizations of capital and operational costs.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

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The next meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the district conference room, 130 Second St. Meetings are normally held on the third Thursday of the month. Information: 481-4886.

Below: Triview district manager Larry Bishop presents plaques expressing the district’s appreciation to Steve Stephenson (1st photo)  and Chuck Ritter (2nd photo). Photos by John Heiser.

At the Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors meeting October 23, plaques expressing the district’s appreciation were presented to long-time district engineer Chuck Ritter of Nolte Associates and former board president Steve Stephenson.

Ritter has served as Triview’s engineer since 1998. He is moving to Arizona. His successor in the position is Tom Repp, project manager with Nolte.

Stevenson served on the board from July 2003 until he resigned September 26.

The board unanimously appointed Mark Veenendaal to fill the vacancy created by Stephenson’s resignation.

Board members Joe Belzer, Julie Glenn, Joe Martin, and Veenendaal were present. Board member Bob Eskridge was absent due to travel. Belzer presided.

Glenn and Eskridge were each nominated to be board president. Each received two votes. The board decided to postpone the election of officers until all members are present.

District manager Larry Bishop distributed copies of his draft 2008 budget. The draft budget is based on the following proposed rate increases:

Bishop noted that the Promontory Pointe, Sanctuary Pointe, and Home Place Ranch projects are largely on hold due to slowing of the housing market. Bishop said the draft budget assumes there will be 40 new taps in 2008. This is down from 70 assumed in the 2007 budget and 200 often assumed in prior years.

The 2008 budget and rate changes will be discussed at the November 27 board meeting and approved at the December 11 meeting.

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The Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors normally meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The next meeting will be held November 27 at 5 p.m. in the district conference room, 174 Washington St. in downtown Monument. For information, phone 488-6868.

The Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) Board of Directors held a special meeting Oct. 15 to discuss the draft of the proposed 2008 budget, which was distributed at the Oct.11 meeting. A budget hearing will be held at the district’s office on Nov. 8

The budget for 2008 includes anticipated revenues of $6,994,902 with anticipated expenditures of $6,919,052, leaving an ending balance of $39,464. The budget accounted for facility improvements including the repair of the Lake Woodmoor dam.

District Manager Phil Steininger reported that the assessed valuation of property had been increased $16 million to $106 million, which lowered the district mill levy from 8.5 to 7.35 percent, resulting in a 16 percent decrease in taxes.

Steininger reported that a 7.5 percent increase in service fees was proposed to help pay for the future projects needed for supplemental water.

Steininger reported Oct. 11 that the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority (PPRWA) had signed a letter of intent with INV Energy located in Fountain to share ground water mined from the Spruce Mountain ranch. Steininger explained that if an agreement were reached and all the conditions met, it would be a win-win proposition for both INV Energy that needs water for cooling its generators and member districts of the PPRWA that are looking for additional sources of water to meet future demand. He said the water districts would get first use of the water and that INV had agreed to fund the project. Effluent water credits would be exchanged and INV would pick up the water in Fountain. Steininger said that INV wanted to begin as soon as the Douglas County 1041 regulations had been satisfied, suggesting work could begin in early 2008 and wells drilled by 2009.

Steininger reported that there would be no contract until production of the well field was determined, but there was a commitment by WWSD of $5,000 for due diligence. He said that the district was in a good position to benefit. Because of its location, it could easily divert water for treatment, and the district had effluent credits to exchange. Steininger said that INV estimated that it needed 2,400 acre-feet of water per year and that the districts in the PPRWA have 2,200 acre-feet of effluent credits.

In response to a question from the board Oct. 11 regarding the lease or purchase of water from the Lower Arkansas, Steininger replied that a second term sheet had been presented by the WWSD consultant to the owners for clarification and discussion of terms but that the terms keep changing and the price has increased. The consultant also met with individual farmers who indicated they were interested in selling water and/or property. Steininger said that there was a big price-range variation.

On Sept. 13, district Operations Manager Randy Gillette reported the processes of draining the lake for dam repair were on schedule and that customers are being served a blend of 50 percent lake water and 50 percent well water. He noted that there had been a few complaints regarding water quality and said that some customers seemed to be more sensitive than others as to taste and/or odor.

Steininger reported that Colorado Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) had completed one of two scheduled fish trappings from the lake and had found a substantial population of northern pike, perch, and crappie. Steininger said that it didn’t appear that there were enough fish to make it worthwhile to move them to another location. The CDFW said even if it trapped and relocated the fish, it wouldn’t be able to net all of the fish and there would be dead fish when the lake is drained. Steininger said the district needed to make people aware of this issue.

Gillette reported Oct. 11 that by November, the district would be operating 100 percent on water from Lake Woodmoor and that the lake would be drained completely before May 2008. He said that he expects that water use will decline now that the weather is cooler and people have stopped irrigating.

Steininger reported that after further study, the CDFW is considering using Lake Woodmoor to raise game fish after it is refilled. He said that the district’s fishing restriction and the 50-foot lake depth (even during hot summer months when the levels are lowest) meet the CDFW’s criteria for storing game fish. The agency would like to introduce saugeye fish, which are aggressive and hard to obtain. Feeder fish like minnows would be stocked to feed the saugeye.

He suggested that if this plan were to go forward, it would be a win-win situation for the department and the district. The CDFW, at no cost to the district, would trap the existing fish out of Lake Woodmoor and then restock it. A healthy fish population improves water quality by balancing the pH in the lake. Steininger noted that if the CDFW decides not to go forward with this plan, the district will have to pay a private consultant a substantial fee for trapping fish from the lake and restocking it.

District engineer Jessie Shaffer reported Sept. 13 that the district is temporarily augmenting water for Woodmoor Pines Country Club (WPCC). The District 10 water commissioner has asked WPCC to develop an augmentation plan for the runoff into the ponds on the golf course. Steininger reported that the WPCC had developed a quick plan unacceptable to the district, adding that the country club is a district customer and that the district can be WPCC’s only source of water, and that it is illegal to divert or store water unless it is done through the district.

For many years the district has not reported the diversion, but now that the state has taken a stronger position, the district has to account for all stream flows, and WPCC has the task of developing an augmentation plan. Steininger said he thought the best solution was to let the water flow into Lake Woodmoor and have the district pump water back to WPCC but added that while he is willing to work with WPCC, the augmentation plan was the responsibility of its water attorney. Attorney Erin Smith said that it is the state engineer who is requiring an augmentation plan and the district must act in accordance with its rules and regulations.

Board President Jim Taylor noted that WPCC is a benefit to the community and encouraged Steininger to do what he could to help WPCC develop an augmentation plan. Steininger responded he would help once WPCC came up with a workable plan.

Shaffer said Sept. 13 that the subdivisions are all pretty much status quo. Misty Acres is paving roads and laying service lines. The property on Knollwood and Highway 105 (the former Carl Turse property) is being platted into three commercial lots called Knollwood Village.

Shaffer said Oct. 11 that he had given Misty Acres a conditional acceptance in a walk-through that morning. Village Center 2 is paved out and working on conditional acceptance. Village Center 4 may try to rezone.

Shaffer reported that Palmer Ridge High School is progressing but that there was no commitment to use non-potable lake water for irrigation, and he didn’t think the school district would commit to it even if voters passed the ballot questions. Steininger asked if pressure could be applied to the school district, to which attorney Smith replied that it could be if a district policy was already in place requiring large irrigation users to use non-potable water.

Mike Rothberg of RTW consultants said that basically it would be the same water (out of the lake) and the only difference would be the water treatment cost, which the school district would pay for when it paid potable (treated) water rates and a water tap fee. Over all, School District 38 will pay a lot more for potable irrigation water but its most critical concern is having the money to open the school, so it doesn’t want to commit to infrastructure costs for non-potable water. The impact on residents of the district is that they may eventually have to incur the cost for another treatment facility.

Shaffer said Sept. 13 that plans and specifications are 98 percent complete for the pipeline from Well 20 to the south treatment plant and anticipated the bid opening in early October. The pump house and down hole equipment will bid at the end of October.

Shaffer reported that RTW is developing plans and specifications for the pump house and anticipated a bid opening for the end of October and finished construction in early 2008.

Shaffer said Oct. 11 that the pipeline for Well 20 and the Congressional sewer line replacement bid opening was scheduled for Oct. 12 and the down hole equipment and well house will be bid in November. The proposed driveway access off Fairplay could go before the County Commissioners in November.

Shaffer recommended and the board approved a permanent easement and a temporary construction easement with the Walters estate.

Shaffer reported Sept. 13 that water had infiltrated the bed at the Monument Creek Pump Station and there appeared to be blockage in the north line resulting in a sinkhole. A TV camera was used to determine the extent of the problem, and the district has applied for a 404 permit to repair a coupling on the north side of the creek bed. He suggested it would be a good time to check for any structural difficulties while the coupling is off. Shaffer said he was waiting on a second quote but that the first quote for repairs was around $15,000. In response to the board’s inquiry about additional costs for investigations, Shaffer said he would look into it and report back.

Shaffer said Oct. 11 that the district is in the permit process for repair of the coupling on the north side of the bed at a cost of $14,000. He recommended the board consider additional investigation and pothole repair for an additional cost of $12,000.

Gillette reported Sept. 13 that the district had completed the camera work and cleaning in Zone 1, identified location of spot repairs, and determined that about 12,000 feet of pipe needed some rehabilitation. The camera indicated root problems in back lot main lines, and the district will send certified letters to customers who have roots in their service lines. It will be customers’ responsibility to rid the lines of roots. Recently there was a back-up caused by roots, and the claim was paid by the insurance company.

Gillette reported Oct. 11 that water line flushing will commence in Zone 2 in November. Signs will be posted and a notice will be placed in the Tribune. The lines will be scoured with air pressure, which works well to clean pipes. Customers will be notified not to use water during periods that will affect them.

Gillette reported Sept. 13 that with very little notice the El Paso County Department of Transportation is resurfacing roads. Because there is no coordination, it is necessary for the district to cut into new asphalt to raise valves and manholes, which is costly and will cause an uneven road surface. The county justifies this by stating that the district is a tenant in its right-of-way and it isn’t responsible for coordination. Steininger said he planned to meet with county officials to resolve this issue prior to next year’s paving contract.

The board approved a resolution that prohibits the use of copper sulfate in the district’s sewer system.

The board went into executive session Sept. 13 and Oct. 11 to consider matters of negotiation.

Wescott FPD holds open house Oct. 13

Click here or on the photos to zoom in

Below: Members of the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District at their Open House October 13 during Fire Prevention Week. Over 400 hot dogs were served to members of the community who stopped in to tour the station and learn more about fire safety. Photos by Valerie Marshall.

Below: Firefighter Mike Forsythe teaches a young fire fighting enthusiast the proper use of a hose line. Photo by Valerie Marshall.

Below: Harv Sims (L), a 22-year resident of Woodmoor, was sworn in as a director on the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District board at the Oct. 24 meeting. He succeeds Bob Hansen, who left after moving out of the district. Sims began a second career in emergency management after retiring from TRW. He teaches EMT classes at Memorial Hospital and supervises the EMTs on Pikes Peak during the summer. Photo by Susan Hindman.

This time of year, board discussions for most special districts focus on next year’s budget, and the Oct. 24 meeting of the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority board was no exception. The budget needs to be submitted to the state on Dec. 15. Starting Jan. 1, 2008, the Woodmoor and Tri-Lakes Fire Protection Districts’ budgets will be merged into the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority budget, because of October’s vote in favor of consolidating the two districts.

The authority’s board president, Charlie Pocock, thanked all those who helped with the election.

Ambulance revenue: Two years ago, Chief Robert Denboske said, the district did a survey of Front Range ambulance companies, looking at those other services and comparing their costs with Tri-Lakes’ for its ambulance service. They then established rates "that put us in the middle of the pack," he said. Last year, no study was done, but rates were raised 5 percent. This year, he said, the district will do another survey, to determine the average revenue for next year.

However, Denboske is recommending that there be no rate increase. Because Medicare payments are "always a year behind," Medicare is still catching up to the previous year’s rate increase. "So we’re not gaining anything because we’re still playing with Medicare," said Denboske, who says he’s "being realistic" in wanting to "give them an opportunity to get caught up with what we’re charging."

Health insurance: Insurance rates will increase 19 percent effective Jan. 1, which Denboske said has triggered discussions about raising co-payments for some things as well as exploring options with other insurance companies.

New tender: Denboske said the current tender (a water hauler) is out of service and needs to be replaced. Although it is not often used — the