OCN

Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

OCN > dwsd

Donala Water and Sanitation District Articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, June 12 – Positive audit report; inconsistent waste treatment numbers

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board met in June to hear an audit report, discuss waste treatment data discrepancies, and hear operational reports. The meeting was relocated due to the temporary closure of the district’s offices. The board heard from a district consultant and learned of an additional board position for its president. The meeting ended with an executive session.

Board receives a clean audit report

Tom Sistare of Hoelting & Company Inc., the board’s auditor, explained the audit process and thanked the district staff for being well-prepared. As in the past, Hoelting has issued an unmodified or clean opinion. The report had no findings of note on internal controls.

Highlights include:

  • Cash and investments are up by $2.8 million, tracking with changes in equity.
  • Liabilities have decreased by $538,000 due to paying debt service as required.
  • Tax revenue increased by 26% due to increased valuation.
  • Capital expenditure was $1.3 million, which was similar to the previous year.

Sistare noted that operational expenses were up 2% compared to a 10% increase the previous year. The largest risk, he said, would be finishing a treatment plant then having the standards rise the following year.

The board voted unanimously to accept the audit.

Discrepancy in waste treatment data

In his report, Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman reported that hydraulic loading, which is the volume of wastewater that a treatment facility must process over a given time, had risen from around 50% to 62.9%. The change came after Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) replaced a flume and installed a laser flow meter (see wp.ocn.me/v25n6tmd). Initial readings were exponentially low, at 100,000 to 200,000 gallons per day and then, after adjustments, increased to between 700,000 and over 1 million gallons per day.

General Manager Jeff Hodge said that the total capacity for the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) is 1.75 million gallons, and the state requires an action plan when the plant goes over 80% capacity. UMCRWWTF is operated by DWSD and jointly owned by DWSD, TMD, and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District. Academy Water and Sanitation District is a customer.

Tolman said if the numbers were correct, they would have had to put a third basin online, but that isn’t happening. Donala is working with Mark Valentine, a project manager at Merrick & Co., to review the data.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said there would be a UMCRWWTF owners meeting on July 3 and he would make sure that this was on the agenda.

Operational reports

Hodge reported that he had attended the American Water Works Association 2025 Annual Conference and Expo (ACE) including a pre-conference workshop on collaborative delivery methods. Merrick and Co., the consulting company that provides workflow management for The Loop, presented the project. Burns & McDonnell, the company designing lift stations, pipelines, and water treatment for The Loop, presented a similar project it is doing in Castle Rock.

Superintendent of Water Operations Ronny Wright said the well 7D redrilling project is going well, though a few nearby neighbors had noted the harmonics building when the drill hit clay. Wright said the next steps would be to mobilize SiLibeads, a modern improvement over gravel, to screen out impurities. SiLibeads are unbreakable soda-lime glass that is free of impurities and heavy metals.

Vanderschuere said he had run into contractors for MVEA drilling without a proper water and sewer locate, which could result in breakage of electrical, water, or sewer lines. Jeff Hodge said if any of Donala’s lines were damaged, Donala would repair them and send a bill to the party responsible. Wright said that tickets had been filed on the incident, and he was on good speaking terms with the supervisor and superintendent. Wright also noted that work was going well on the tanks and Well 9A.

Tolman confirmed that UMCRWWTF was ready to host the July meeting of the Donala board. He stated that roads were paved, sidewalks, curbs, and gutters were installed, and landscaping was completed, noting that additional paving is required near a newly constructed roundabout. Additional striping was scheduled, and the bridge is complete, Tolman said. Process control for the plant is running well, he said, giving them opportunities to adjust for efficiency.

Consultant reports

Consultant Brett Gracely of LRE Water provided more detail on the Well 7D redrilling project issues with claystone and breaking equipment and next steps. He also reviewed the status of water rights objector cases LRE is assisting with as well as the successful completion of water exchange into Clear Creek saying that the water is now in the district’s Pueblo Reservoir water account and should be moved through the Northgate interchange and delivered to customers sometime in July or August to prove that the water was put to beneficial use after which a due diligence application could be filed. Hodge said the district would coordinate closely with other projects including water sampling for the Loop project.

Gracely also reported on the status of conversations with the Colorado Division of Water Resources on exchanges with reservoirs in Aurora, but said they had some major cases involving the Lower Arkansas Water Management Association (LAWMA) that seemed to be occupying them. Gracely said that attorneys were discussing the pros and cons of combining the exchanges into one filing vs. multiple filings and said that there might be some advantage to filing before the end of year. Vanderschuere suggested scheduling a work session in the next few months just for this item and inviting the water lawyer.

Finally, Gracely announced that June is his last month of employment at LRE Water. He has accepted a position as water planning practice leader at Plummer and suggested that his colleagues Helen Malenda-Lawrence and Kelsey Briggs act as co-leads in the interim to keep Donala informed. He noted that Plummer occupies the same building as LRE Water on Auraria Parkway in Denver and the two firms have collaborated in the past and have a non-compete agreement.

Director comments

Vanderschuere announced that he is now officially on the MVEA board as a director for District 3 and has attended an orientation meeting and his first regular board meeting on June 17. He will serve in that capacity in addition to his role at DWSD as board president, having confirmed with legal counsel on both sides that there is no conflict of interest. He said that MVEA is concerned about the pending federal budget bill and what would be funded or not, noting that renewables and fiber optics had been getting federal subsidies. This is also a concern for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and other peer organizations.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss security arrangements or investigations related to security measures for maintenance technicians and water operators and personnel matters related to maintenance technicians and water operators.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 17 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, May 5 – Directors sworn in; district offices temporarily closed

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board met in May at the Fairfield Inn to swear in directors and appoint officers of the board. The meeting was relocated due to the temporary closure of the district’s offices. The board considered changes to the method used to calculate sanitation charges. The board heard operational reports and ended the meeting with an executive session.

Judd returns to board; officers remain unchanged

Wayne Vanderschuere and Kenneth Judd took their oaths of office at the May meeting. Vanderschuere is able to serve another term on the board due to the recent removal of term limits for DWSD board members by the district’s voters. Judd has previously served as a DWSD director and is returning after a four-year absence from the board.

The board voted to keep its slate of officers in place: Vanderschuere was elected to another term as president, and Bill George and Kevin Deardorff will continue as vice president and secretary.

Above: At its May 15 board meeting, Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) swore in Directors Wayne Vanderschuere and Kenneth Judd. Vanderschuere was re-elected after a special election removed term limits for board members. Judd returns to the board after a four-year absence. The meeting was held at the Fairfield Inn because of the temporary closure of DWSD’s headquarters on Holbein Drive due to a well drilling. From left are Vanderschuere, Accounts Payable Specialist Christina Hawker, and Judd. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Offices closed while drilling underway

Due to the well 7D redrilling project in the parking lot of the district offices on Holbein Drive, the district offices are temporarily closed for safety reasons. The parking lot is closed and there will be no public access to the district offices until the project is complete in about five to six weeks. The drop box for payments has moved to the secondary driveway west of the office building, accessible from Holbein Drive, and customers can call 719-488-3603 to contact district staff with questions or to make payments by phone. A second payment drop box is available at the King Soopers on Baptist Road.

Check the DWSD website at www.donalawater.org for updates about the office closure and the location of board meetings.

Above: Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) well 7D-R re-drilling is underway. With 40-foot sound walls visible from Baptist Road, the DWSD headquarters on Holbein Drive is temporarily closed until drilling is complete. The payment box has been moved to the western driveway, and a second payment box is available at the King Soopers on Baptist Road. Customers are encouraged to call 719-488-3603 with any questions and check the website at www.donalawater.com for updated information. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Sanitation rate calculation reconsidered

The board discussed changes to the method it uses to calculate sanitation charges to address two problem cases: where a water leak is present during the charge calculation period, resulting in too high a charge, and when “snowbirds”—customers who spend the winter months outside the district—have no water usage during the calculation period, resulting in too low a charge. Sanitation charges are calculated based on water usage during the winter months and assume that every gallon of water delivered during those months will result in a gallon of wastewater produced because customers will not be using any water for outdoor irrigation during the winter months.

Accounts Payable Specialist Christina Hawker proposed that the district add a sanitation charge adjustment request form that customers could use to ask for a review when a water leak occurs during the months when the usage is calculated. If a water leak was proven, the district should calculate the charge using a different but comparable month, Hawker said. For snowbirds, Hawker suggested the use of a minimum rate that would be calculated annually by averaging the water usage of the first quartile of all customers. Hawker estimated about 400, or about 15%, of the district’s customers would be affected by the changes. She said she would draft the policy changes for the board to consider at its July meeting and pointed out if the policy changes were approved, the district would have to announce them 30 days before they took effect.

Operational reports

In his financial report, General Manager Jeff Hodge noted the district had received half of the revenue it expects from property taxes. Expenses will increase as projects proceed. The board approved Hodge’s report.

In his manager’s report, Hodge summed up recent developments in the Loop, a water reuse project in which DWSD is one of three participating districts. He said a “request for proposal” to design the pipelines and pump stations needed to convey water from Fountain Creek to customers had been published. A kickoff meeting with Burns & McDonnell, the company that will design and pilot test the water treatment facility for the Loop, had been held.

Ways to finance the Loop were being investigated, Hodge said, adding the Loop’s board was discussing options with Piper Sandler, the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, Tallgrass Water, Holman Capital, and Meridiam. Public-private partnerships were being considered as well as traditional funding methods.

Superintendent of Water Operations Ronny Wright told the board that conditions were very dry at Willow Creek Ranch, one of the district’s sources of renewable surface water. Wright said new pumps that would allow the automatic dispensing of chemicals based on water flows were being discussed for the Holbein Water Treatment Facility.

Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman noted the equipment for ultraviolet disinfection had been replaced and the wastewater treatment plant’s 35-year-old generator had undergone repairs and was being tested more frequently than it had been previously.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to give Hodge his annual review.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 19 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, April 17 – Workshop covers finances, water supply

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

On April17, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) held a workshop and a regular board meeting. At the workshop, General Manager Jeff Hodge presented the district’s financial policy. Brett Gracely and Helen Malenda-Lawrence, both consultants with LRE Water, addressed several technical issues, including DWSD’s ground and surface water assets, the four large capital projects the district has underway, and techniques to manage the district’s well field. Board President Wayne Vanderschuere discussed ways to improve public outreach.

At its regular meeting, the board considered a resolution that authorizes “integrated project delivery” by pre-approving three contractors and heard a progress report on well 7D-R from Hodge.

Financial strategy to remain unchanged

Hodge told the board that DWSD’s financial strategy was built on four funds: the Bond Reserve Fund, the Strategic Reserve Fund, the Capital Reserve Fund and the Operating Reserve Fund. The district also maintains a Water Fund and a Wastewater Fund that are used for monthly expenses.

The Bond Reserve Fund is established as a condition of the bonds the district has issued. The district’s bonds were refinanced in 2020, saving the district $170,000 per year in debt service. The funds are protected by bond covenants and can be used only in the event of a default or to pay down principal. It has a balance of $1.25 million, Hodge said.

The Strategic Reserve Fund holds property tax revenues beyond what is needed for operating costs and capital expenses. Strategic Reserve funds are used to acquire water rights, build storage capacity and take advantage of conveyance opportunities. Wells, which typically cost around $2 million to drill, are financed with money from this fund. The balance in this fund fluctuates depending on buying opportunities; the balance is currently $4.44 million, according to Hodge.

The Capital Reserve Fund is established from capital revenues and is used for large-scale projects such as the upgrades installed at the Holbein Water Treatment Plant to remediate radium levels and the repair of water storage tanks. The fund’s balance is $3.6 million.

The Operating Reserve Fund has a balance sufficient to operate the district for six months and is used to protect the district from unforeseen cost increases such as increases in water costs, treatment costs, and emergency repairs. The balance is $3.2 million.

The total of all four funds is about $12.5 million, Hodge said. That amount was confirmed to be adequate by Raftelis, a company that does financial modeling and rates studies for local governments and utilities. Hodge said he recommended making no changes to the four funds.

Water supply and projects

Gracely and Malenda-Lawrence reviewed DWSD’s groundwater and surface water supplies.

The district operates 13 wells, nine of which produce water from the Arapahoe aquifer and four from the Denver aquifer. One of the Arapahoe aquifer wells is out of production and one of the Denver aquifer wells is currently being redrilled. The Arapahoe wells are permitted by the state to provide a maximum of 1,513.7 acre-feet of water per year; actual production is less than that amount. The Denver aquifer wells can provide a maximum of 1,141 acre-feet per year.

DWSD’s maximum groundwater supply totals 2,671 acre-feet per year; actual production is less. Groundwater is a finite resource; as aquifer levels decline, groundwater becomes more expensive to produce until it is no longer a viable resource.

Water from DWSD’s wells is treated at two treatment plants: the R. Hull Water Treatment Plant and the Holbein Water Treatment Plant (HWTP). The two plants together deliver 820.7 acre-feet of water to customers each year.

In addition to its groundwater supplies, DWSD has rights to renewable surface water from the Willow Creek Ranch, which is in Lake County near Leadville, as well as to water from the Laughlin Ditch, which originates in Stratmoor, an unincorporated community near Fountain.

DWSD’s Willow Creek Ranch water rights are 1890 senior irrigation rights converted in water court to municipal uses. The district has rights to a maximum of 280 acre-feet of water per year from the ranch. Currently, this water is stored in the Pueblo Reservoir and then treated and delivered to DWSD customers by Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) at a high cost that increases with each contract renewal. DWSD has plans to deliver this water to its customers using the Loop water re-use project, without incurring the CSU charges.

The district’s Laughlin Ditch water rights are 1860 senior irrigation rights, originally used to irrigate a pasture, that were converted to municipal uses in 1975. DWSD leases this water to the Arkansas Groundwater and Reservoir Association. (Arkansas in this instance refers to the Arkansas River, not the state.) The district is considering plans to exchange this water to the confluence of the Monument and Beaver Creeks, thereby making it available to district customers.

Gracely and Malenda-Lawrence gave the board an overview of four projects the district is working on:

  • Well 7D replacement: Expected to cost $2 million to $2.5 million, well 7D, which failed in 2020, will be redrilled and renamed well 7D-R. The failure of well 11D in late 2024 left the HWTP with no access to water from the Denver aquifer. Well 7D-R will restore HWTP’s access to Denver aquifer water and should be in production by late summer 2025.
  • The Loop water re-use project: A collaborative water supply initiative involving DWSD, Woodmoor Water and Sanitation and the Town of Monument, the Loop will divert water, including reuseable effluent, from Fountain Creek, and treat, store and convey it to customers in the participating entities. The Loop is a large-scale, long-term project expected to be completed in 2030 or 2031. The Loop received $4 million in start-up financing from the Biden administration’s American Recovery Plan Act and is currently in design phase. Preliminary estimates for the project’s cost are close to $160 million.
  • Aquifer Storage and Recovery: This pilot study will use well 9A to recharge the Arapahoe aquifer, using the aquifer to store treated water for later use without any loss to evaporation. It is partially funded by the Colorado Conservation Board’s Water Plan Grant, with a $2.4 million match from DWSD.
  • Direct Potable Reuse: This project will begin the establishment of a system to deliver treated effluent to customers without first returning it to a river or stream. This project does not have an estimated cost.

Well 7-DR update

Hodge told the board that a retaining wall for the well, which is adjacent to the district’s offices at 15850 Holbein Dr., should be started by April 21. The next step is to build a sound wall to protect the nearby homes from the noise of drilling as much as possible. Following the drilling, electrical work, pump installation and approval of water samples will take place. The well could be in production by August, Hodge said.

Above: Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) prepares its Holbein Drive headquarters upper parking lot site to re-drill well 7D. The new well, 7D-R, will restore Denver aquifer water delivery to the Holbein Water Treatment Plant (HWTP) after well 11D failed. The $2 million-$2.5 million project is expected to be operational by August. DWSD will install retaining and sound walls before drilling, do electrical work, and install a pump. Recent upgrades include rehabilitating the HWTP and maintaining water tanks. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Well field management

Malenda-Lawrence discussed the ways DWSD’s wells can be managed as a well field to extend the life of the underlying aquifers and to remain within the maximum amounts the district is allowed to pump from the Arapahoe and Denver aquifers. She cautioned the board that maximum amounts permitted does not ensure that wells can produce that amount of water. Well age and condition affect well production and the district may choose to run some wells at a throttled rate to avoid deterioration. “Low and slow” is the best way to operate a well for aquifer health, she said.

Hodge commented that the well field study and a dashboard developed by Malenda-Lawrence were helpful in predicting the impact of decisions about how to run individual wells.

Malenda-Lawrence said she used aquifer testing data, sustainable pumping rates, water blending scenarios, and water rights to help water operators make strategic decisions about how to use wells.

Steve Ravel, a project manager with Merrick & Co., reported on a Geographic Information System he developed that maps the district’s distribution and collection systems and provides a database operators can use to make decisions and maintain the infrastructure.

Plan to improve public outreach

Vanderschuere said public outreach builds trust and confidence in the district’s customers and said more needed to be done in that arena because the board relies on customer support. He suggested developing a packet of information that could be given to new residents that would help them understand the special districts that deliver services to them. He also proposed using open houses to build relationships with district customers.

“Integrated project delivery” resolution

Hodge asked the board to consider Resolution 2025-3, which pre-approves three contractors—Lando Excavation LLC, Iron Woman Construction and Environmental Services LLC, and RJ Gleeson Construction—to provide services in urgent situations without going through a typical bidding process. Pre-approval aims to increase efficiency, fast-track design and construction, and provide more quality assurance. The board voted unanimously in favor of the resolution.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 15 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The March meeting was delayed by one week to allow adequate notice of a public hearing. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Mar. 27 – New water and sewer rates take effect

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its February meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board voted to implement an across-the-board 5 percent rate increase. General Manager Jeff Hodge announced that the upcoming board election was canceled. He reviewed the results of the district’s sanitary survey. The board amended its agreement with the Loop water reuse project and heard operational reports.

The meeting ended with an executive session.

Water and sewer rates to increase

Hodge asked the board to consider Resolution 2025-2, which specifies a 5 percent increase to water and sewer fees and rates. The new fees and rates for single-family residences include:

  • Water and sewer tap fees increase to $8,925.
  • Water service rate increases to $33.48.
  • The water usage rate for the first 10,000 gallons increases to $8.68 per 1,000 gallons.
  • The water usage rate for the second 10,000 gallons increases to $14.46 per 1,000 gallons.
  • The sewer service rate base fee increases to $67.50, and the rate per 1,000 gallons of wastewater increases to $9.71.

Many of the administrative fees, such as the returned payment fee and the late payment fee, remain unchanged. For a complete list of rates and fees, see the DWSD web page at https://DonalaWater.org.

Hodge estimated DWSD has about 50 water taps available for sale, and 44 of the taps are slated to be used by a residential development adjacent to the Big R Store near Struthers Road.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said customers would see the increases in the bills they will receive in May for the April water and sewer usage.

Board election canceled

Hodge said since there were two candidates nominated for the two open board seats, the upcoming election was canceled. Vanderschuere will serve another term, Hodge said, and Kenneth Judd, who has served on the DWSD board previously, will replace current board member Ed Miller. Vanderschuere and Judd will be sworn in at the May board meeting, after which new board officers will be elected.

District passes Sanitary Survey with flying colors

Hodge told the board that inspectors from the Field Services section of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment performed a sanitary survey, a review of a district’s capability to supply safe drinking water, on Feb. 14. The survey found no violations and two minor deficiencies that were resolved the day of the survey, Hodge said. He congratulated Superintendent of Water Operations Ronny Wright and his team for the successful survey outcome.

Agreement with the Loop amended

Hodge asked the board to vote on an amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement that DWSD has signed with the Loop water authority. When the Cherokee Metropolitan District withdrew from the Loop project, Hodge said, that left three participating districts and three corresponding members on the Loop board. As a result, two Loop board members constituted a quorum, which meant a simple conversation between a pair of board members was a public meeting and subject to Colorado’s open meetings laws, including the requirement that the meeting be announced to the public 24 hours in advance.

The amended agreement addresses this complication by specifying that if the Loop has only three participating districts, each district will name two members to the Loop board, thereby increasing to four the number of members constituting a quorum.

The board voted unanimously to approve the amended agreement. The board also appointed Accounts Payable specialist Christina Hawker as DWSD’s second Loop board member and Cade Pennington as the alternate member.

Operational reports

In the financial section of his Manager’s Report, Hodge told the board that the district had received a large portion of revenue from the district’s property taxes. He noted that due to the need to redrill Well 7D, the district has budgeted $1 million for Colorado Springs Utilities to convey, treat, and deliver water that DWSD owns from other sources such as the Willow Creek Ranch. “Everything is tracking for this time of year,” Hodge said.

Hodge said the redrilling of Well 7D, which is adjacent to the district’s headquarters at 15850 Holbein Dr., is “zipping along.” Two meetings with neighbors had been held, he said, and he expected drilling to begin by May 1. An undersized transformer at the Well 7D site that hums has been replaced, Hodge said.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to determine negotiating positions relative to the Willow Creek Ranch conditional water rights owned by the district. No actions were taken by the board following the executive session.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 17 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The March meeting was delayed by one week to allow adequate notice of a public hearing. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Feb. 20 – Voters remove term limits

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its February meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District’s (DWSD) board heard the results of a special election held earlier in the month and a cost-of-service analysis. General Manager Jeff Hodge and Superintendent of Water Operations Ronny Wright delivered their monthly operational reports. The board rescheduled its March board meeting.

The meeting ended with an executive session.

Voters approve unlimited terms

Accounts Payable Specialist Christina Hawker presented the results of a special election held Feb. 4 to the board. By a vote of 54 to 39, the district’s voters removed the requirement that board members be limited to two consecutive terms on the DWSD board. The board put the issue before the voters due to the difficulty of finding experienced candidates willing to serve on the board on a volunteer basis.

Hawker said the seats held by board President Wayne Vanderschuere and Director Ed Miller are up for re-election in 2025. Removal of term limits means Vanderschuere and Miller can run again if they choose to do so. Hawker said the complete list of candidates would be known on March 4 and, if the number of candidates matches the number of seats available, the election, scheduled for May 6, would be cancelled.

Cost-of-service analysis confirms 5% rate increase

In November 2024, the board asked Todd Cristiano, a consultant with Raftelis, a company that does financial modeling and rate studies for local governments and utilities, to analyze DWSD’s rates with an eye to determining if they cover the cost of delivering water and sewer service and upcoming capital improvement projects. At that time the board had considered rate increases as high as 10% but had settled on a 5% across-the-board increase and it wanted Cristiano to determine if the lower increase would be adequate.

Cristiano told the board he had studied how much revenue DWSD needs going forward, whether the rates are fair to all customers and if rates would deliver revenue stability. He noted that the district’s sewer service reserves were somewhat behind the water service reserves.

Cristiano said he analyzed two scenarios: rehabilitating the R. Hull treatment plant and successful completion of the Loop water re-use project. He did a 10-year analysis of those scenarios. He concluded a 5% rate increase would cover both scenarios. Reserves would accumulate at first and then be spent down with a 5% increase, Cristiano said. Tap fees were included in his analysis.

Four customer classes were used in Cristiano’s planning: residential customers, who make up 84.7% of revenue; irrigation customers, who make up 6%; multifamily customers, who make up 5%; and commercial customers, who make up 4.3%. The costs for average day consumption and peak day consumption were also factored into Cristiano’s analysis. He explained that his model showed the same amount of revenue would be recovered but it would be allocated a bit differently among customer classes. The current sewer rates were fair and equitable, he said.

In his conclusion, Cristiano said a 5% rate increase would cover the costs of service delivery and needed reserves. He said the board should look at its financial plan on a regular basis and should decide how it wants to handle the rates for multifamily residences.

Vanderschuere pointed out the district has few multifamily residences and suggested the board might be chasing a solution for a problem that it doesn’t have. He said he was leaning toward leaving the current multifamily rate in place. He said he favored moving forward with the 5% rate increase, which would include a 5% increase on tap fees, holding the needed hearings in March so that the rates could be implemented in April.

Manager’s report

Hodge told the board that not much financial data had been generated in the first two months of the year, but “all is well” in terms of the budget. In his update on the Loop, he noted that John Kuosman had left his position with Merrick Inc. and would be replaced by Mark Valentine as the Loop’s workflow manager. The Loop was focusing on water treatment design and had received bids from seven companies.

Hodge gave an update on redrilling Well 7D, which is adjacent to the treatment plant and district offices at 15850 Holbein Dr. Trees would be coming down soon and 40-foot sound-damping walls would be going up. The district was using the greatest amount of noise prevention technology during the three-week drilling period, he said. The goal was to have the redrilled well in production by May or June.

Water report

Wright said the state of Colorado had been in the district to complete a water sanitary survey in February. The survey went well: Two deficiencies were noted and corrected the same day.

March board meeting rescheduled

The board voted to delay its March meeting from March 20 to March 27 to allow 30 days’ notice of a public hearing on rates.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to determine negotiating positions relative to participation in the North Monument Creek Interceptor project.

**********

Correction

Last month’s article listed the Academy Water and Sanitation District (AWSD) as one of the operators of the Upper Monument Creek Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCWWTF). The UMCWWTF does in fact treat AWSD’s wastewater, but AWSD does not have any operational role in the facility. AWSD is a customer of DWSD, which shares operational responsibilities for the facility with Triview Metropolitan District and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 27 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The March meeting was delayed by one week to allow adequate notice of a public hearing. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Jan. 16 – Board passes housekeeping resolution

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

In January, the Donala Water and Sanitation District’s (DWSD) board passed an administrative resolution and set their calendar of meetings for 2025. It elected a backup representative to the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA, also known as the “Loop”). Finally, the board heard financial and operational reports.

Administrative resolution

Resolution 2025-1 specifies how DWSD will comply with state laws; a similar resolution is passed every year. It includes, in part:

  • The timeline governing when a budget will be proposed, amended if necessary and filed with the state.
  • The Gazette or the Tri-Lakes Tribune will be the papers of general circulation in which legal notices will be published.
  • Notices will also be posted on the district’s webpage, www.donalawater.org, and at the district’s offices at 1580 Holbein Dr.
  • Regular meetings will be on the third Thursday of every month at 1:30 p.m. at the district’s offices.

Meeting schedule for 2025

The board set its meeting schedule for 2025. The schedule can be found here: https://www.donalawater.org/files/8c7aa8899/Annual+Board+Meeting+Schedule+2025.pdf.

Backup representatives named

General Manager Jeff Hodge asked the board to approve Resolution 2025-2, which names Accounts Payable Specialist Christina Hawker and Water Operator Cade Pennington as the district’s alternative representatives on the Loop board. They will represent DWSD if Hodge is unable to attend a Loop meeting. The board voted unanimously to approve the resolution.

Financial report and operational reports

In a brief financial report, Hawker said the district ended its 2024 budget year with water sales $30,000 over its estimate and expenses just under its estimate. The expenses for the Upper Monument Creek Waste Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCWWTF), which DWSD operates jointly with Academy Water and Sanitation District, Forest Lakes Metropolitan District, and Triview Metropolitan District, were spot on, she said. The board voted unanimously to accept the financial report.

In his manager’s report, Hodge told the board the district is moving ahead with its plans to redrill Well 7D. He said he had met with the district’s water lawyers and with engineers, who estimated the redrilled well could produce 200 gallons per minute. Hodge said he was concerned that the pipeline adjacent to Baptist Road could fail but the wells near the Holbein treatment plant can supply the plant without using the pipeline. He said he was also considering the future of Well 14A, currently unused due to radium levels, but which could be viable with the radium remediation technology that the district has in place.

Rehabilitation of the district’s storage tanks is continuing, Hodge said, adding he was dusting off the plans to keep the district’s UMCWWTF safe in case of fire. The district should consider investing in an on-site generator or in battery backup, he said.

Superintendent of Water Operations Ronny Wright told the board he was investigating Barricade fire blocking gel and Phos-Chek as methods to protect the UMCWWTF from fire damage.

Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman reported E. coli in the UMCWWTF’s effluent is well under the maximum allowed. The plant processed 28 million gallons of wastewater in December, Tolman said.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Nov. 21 – State signs off on radium remediation

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its December meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District’s (DWSD) board heard good news concerning its efforts to remove radium from the water the district delivers to customers. The board concluded its work on its 2025 budget, certified its mill levies, and planned two upcoming elections. The board decided to abandon Well 11D and redrill Well 7D in its place. Finally, the board heard financial and operational reports.

State confirms compliance with radium standard

Water Operator Ronny Wright told the board he had received a “radiological reinforcement order” from the state, a confirmation that DWSD has met the state’s standards for radium over four consecutive quarters. The order states that DWSD’s system was “reliably and consistently achieving compliance within the combined standards” for radium. Wright said the district would receive a new schedule for ongoing sampling from the state.

On June 28, 2022, DWSD was notified that water processed at the Holbein Treatment Plant had, for the past year, an average value of combined radium of 9.6 pCi/L, exceeding the maximum contaminant level of 5 pCi/L. In response, the district notified its customers as required, took the treatment plant offline, upgraded the filtration medium at the plant and installed a radium removal process based on hydrous manganese oxide. The board estimated it would have the problem solved by November 2023, and the order confirms that the water delivered in 2024 met the state’s standards.

2025 budget adopted; mill levies set

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere opened a public hearing on the 2025 budget. He noted that rates and fees, which typically are set when a new budget is approved, would be set in the first quarter of 2025 when the district has data for water consumption during the winter months, which it uses to calculate wastewater costs, and has had time to complete a cost of service study.

There were no comments on the budget and Vanderschuere closed the hearing. The board passed four resolutions:

  • Resolution 2024-9, which adopts the 2025 budget.
  • Resolution 2024-10, which appropriates the funds needed for the budget.
  • Resolution 2024-11, which sets a mill levy of 21.296 mills for most of the district.
  • Resolution 2024-12, which sets a mill levy of 10.648 mills for a small portion of the district that receives water service but uses septic tanks instead of the district’s sewer service.

Upcoming elections

The board planned for two upcoming elections. The first, a special election to be held on Feb. 4, will ask voters to waive the term limits that are currently in place for members of the DWSD board. The board put this issue to the voters because of the difficulty of finding candidates for the DWSD board and in hopes of improving the long-term decision-making of the board by allowing members to serve for a longer time.

Accounts Payable Specialist Christina Hawker gave the board a timeline for the February election. She said printed ballots would be available by Jan. 3. The election will be held between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the district offices at 15850 Holbein Drive. Hawker will serve as the Designated Election Official (DEO). Absentee ballots would be mailed out on Jan. 6 to those who requested them. An application for an absentee ballot is on the district web page, she said. Jan. 28 is the last day to request an absentee ballot. Hawker said details about the election would be included with the bills sent to customers.

Micki Mills, of the legal firm Cockrel Ela Glesne Geher and Ruhland, attended the meeting to advise the board about the election. She said the district is subject to the fair campaign practices act, so the information included in bills must be strictly factual and can’t advocate for or against the issue before the voters. She advised board members to forward any questions they receive to Hawker.

The board also planned a district election to be held on May 6, 2025. That election will elect board members to fill the seats currently held by Vanderschuere and Director Ed Miller. If term limits are waived in February, then Vanderschuere and Miller may run again for the seats they currently hold. If they are not waived, Vanderschuere and Miller will not be eligible for re-election.

Anyone wishing to run for one of the two available board seats can obtain a self-nomination form by emailing Hawker at ChristinaH@donalawater.gov. The completed forms must be received no later than close of business on Feb. 28.

The board voted in favor of Resolution 2024-8, which documents the date and time of the election and names Hawker as DEO.

Well 7D to replace 11D

At its November meeting, the board heard a recommendation from consultant Helen Malenda-Lawrence, of LRE Water, to repair Well 11D. District Manager Hodge told the board that following a video inspection of the well it was determined that the well could not be repaired with the installation of a new pump, as was originally estimated, and he recommended abandoning the well.

Hodge proposed redrilling well 7D, which failed in 2020. Well 7D is located in the parking lot of the district’s office building and treatment plant on Holbein Drive. Because Well 7D could be redrilled within 200 feet of its existing location, there would be no need to go to water court and that would simplify the permitting required, Hodge said. Another advantage is the well could provide water to the treatment plant without using the pipeline adjacent to Baptist Road, which is subject to failures due to its installation directly on rock.

Financial and operational reports

In his financial report, District Manager Jeff Hodge reported that revenues and expenses for the last month of 2024 were on track. Savings on water rights balanced additional expenses for staff training.

In his manager’s report, Hodge said the state had called to schedule a sanitary survey of the district. A sanitary survey is an on-site survey that looks at water sources, facilities, equipment, operations, and maintenance of public water systems to evaluate the adequacy of the systems to provide safe drinking water.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 16 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Nov. 21 – Board hears rate and groundwater supply studies

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At Donala Water and Sanitation District’s (DWSD) November meeting, consultants presented the results of two studies: the first addressing proposed rate increases and the second analyzing groundwater supply issues such as the status of existing wells, plans for well maintenance, how best to manage the district’s two well fields, and next steps.

The presentations were intended to address questions arising from a discussion of the district’s 2025 budget at the previous board meeting, in which a 9.25% increase in rates had been proposed by General Manager Jeff Hodge. Hodge presented a revised 2025 budget that compared 4.5% and a 5% rate increases. The board voted on a resolution calling for a special election to ask voters to waive term limits for DWSD board members. The meeting ended with an executive session.

Rate study recommends 5% rate increase

Todd Cristiano, a consultant with Raftelis, a company that does financial modeling and rate studies for local governments and utilities, presented the results of his study of water and wastewater rates to the board. His goal was to create a financial roadmap that aligns rate revenues with annual expenditures, debt coverage and required reserves; that funds capital projects using debt, rates, and reserves; that structures rates to recover the costs of water and wastewater service; and that minimizes the financial impacts on customers.

Cristiano pointed out that DWSD was restricted in its ability to issue debt, has to rely on cash, and has to save money in advance to fund large capital projects.

Cristiano recommended a 5% rate increase, which he said would result in a $5.38 increase for DWSD’s typical customer. He pointed out that water and sewer costs were increasing much faster than general inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. One reason for this was that water and sewer infrastructure that was built in the 1970s with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency was coming to the end of its useful life and needing to be replaced.

Cristiano said DWSD currently comingles water and wastewater funds. He argued those funds should be handled separately to ensure that the rates for those services are adequate to recover their costs.

Cristiano told the board his financial plan assumed the district required an operating reserve adequate to cover 180 days of operation and a capital reserve to cover one year of depreciation expense. He assumed inflation of between 3% and 6.5% for salaries, utility costs, convey and treat charges from Colorado Springs Utilities, chemicals, and miscellaneous supplies. He said water and wastewater services should be self-sufficient by 2029.

Cristiano presented two scenarios. In the first, DWSD would rehabilitate the R. Hull Treatment Plant, fund DWSD’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project pilot, upgrade the chlorine system, drill needed wells, and fund capital replacement projects. The proposed 5% annual increase, between 2025 and 2033, would generate the $18 million needed for those purposes, Cristiano said.

In the second scenario, DWSD would participate in the Loop water re-use project, fund the ASR pilot and some future well projects for a total cost of $24 million. In this scenario, in addition to an annual 5% rate increase, DWSD would have to spend reserve funds in 2026 and between 2029 and 2033. Reserves would remain above target in this scenario, Cristiano said.

On the wastewater side, Cristiano said the proposed 5% annual increase would generate enough revenue to cover the cost of wastewater service.

Following Cristiano’s presentation, board President Wayne Vanderschuere asked Nate Eckloff, a bond expert at Piper Sandler, an investment bank that advises DWSD on how to manage debt, if anything in Cristiano’s study gave Eckloff pause. Eckloff said the study “looked solid,” and the district would have time and flexibility to adjust rates if needed. Vanderschuere said the board’s direction had been to increase fixed fees rather than rates. Hodge agreed, saying that increasing the district’s tiered water usage rates risked stifling demand.

Director Ed Miller said before he would agree to the proposed rate increases, he wanted to see a justification for the proposed spending.

Groundwater supply study

Helen Malenda-Lawrence, of LRE Water, presented to the board a detailed analysis of the district’s groundwater resources that included an assessment of each well, well maintenance, projected supply scenarios, and suggestions for long-term maintenance.

She said Hodge had inherited well fields that had not been well maintained and problems cropped up that needed immediate fixes. She said that DWSD had made significant investments in understanding the current conditions of its two well fields, its wells and its infrastructure. Her supply study had a lot of in-depth studies behind it, she said.

Malenda-Lawrence showed the board a map of the district’s two well fields and explained that wells in the northeast field fed the Holbein Water Treatment Plant (HWTP) and wells in the southwest field fed the R. Hull Water Treatment Plant (RHWTP). The district has a total of 14 wells, the oldest drilled in 1985 and the newest in 2022. Five of the wells are currently out of service, some temporarily and some permanently. She said Wells 1A and 11D both failed in September. Well 11D is an important source of water for the HWTP, Malenda-Lawrence said.

Malenda-Lawrence said Wells 11D, 9A and 4A were the most important to repair. She estimated the cost to diagnose and rehabilitate them at $580,000. She said Wells 1A-R and 14A were optional to repair if additional water supply is needed or redundancy is desired. She estimated the cost to repair those wells would be about $700,000. She related the well maintenance schedule to the district’s ability to meet demand by pointing out if Wells 1A and 11D had failed before Well 16A, the district’s newest well had come into production, it would have been difficult for the district to meet its peak demand in the summer months.

The groundwater supply study considered sustainable pumping rates, water quality, permit levels at all wells, and which wells might go out of production to identify scenarios in which the district might struggle to meet demand. All the scenarios in the study trigger flags about water quality in some circumstances. If both Wells 11D and 4A are down simultaneously, the district can’t meet demand, Malenda-Lawrence said. Her conclusions were that DWSD has been able to meet demands up to this point but it does not have a lot of flexibility, which means the operations team has to juggle things and could run into “volumetric limits.”

She recommended DWSD consider drilling two new wells into the Denver aquifer in 2026 and 2027, one in each well field, at a cost of around $1 million per well. Those costs do not include transmission lines for the water and electrical power to the well sites, she said. If DWSD intends to rely on groundwater as its main source of raw water, she recommended the drilling of another five wells between 2025 and 2040 to replace wells that can be expected to fail during that timeframe.

Hodge said most of the wells in the northeast quadrant use a pipeline adjacent to Baptist Road to convey their water to the HWTP. That pipeline is subject to failure because it is installed directly on rock without the usual clearance underneath the pipeline. The pipeline failed in September. That situation makes Well 11D critical to repair, because when the pipeline fails again Well 11D will be the only well able to supply the HWTP without the pipeline, he said.

Hodge mentioned a Colorado Supreme Court decision in the case of Parker v. Rein that will affect DWSD’s planning. The ruling states that water right holders are entitled to a fixed volume of water and not a fixed rate of withdrawal. That means water districts may have to document how much water they have pumped to date and may see their water rights end sooner than expected.

Brett Gracely, also with LRE Water, discussed the next steps DWSD should consider. He said the district should compare the costs of maintaining and improving their two well fields to the costs of using its water supply from the Willow Creek Ranch conveyed by Colorado Springs Utilities, obtaining water via the Loop water re-use project, and moving to direct potable re-use of effluent from the Upper Monument Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Vanderschuere said he applauded the rigor of the groundwater supply study.

2025 budget

Hodge presented an updated 2025 budget that, in response to the board’s comments on the budget he presented at the October meeting, lowers the proposed rate increase from 9.25% to 5% and delays some capital projects to reduce their total costs to $2.2 million. He said the updated budget “keeps the lights on,” is in balance, makes debt service payments, and includes financial reserves that will fund operations for 180 days.

The board will hold a final vote on the 2025 budget at its next board meeting on Dec. 12.

Term limit waiver to go before voters

The board voted in favor of Resolution 2024-7, which authorizes a special election to be held on Feb. 4, 2025 on the question of waiving term limits for members of the DWSD board.

The district headquarters at 1580 Holbein Drive will be used as a polling place, and district residents can vote in person between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to determine positions relative to negotiation regarding the Intergovernmental Agreement governing the Upper Monument Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility that DWSD shares with the Triview Metropolitan District, the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District, and the Academy Water and Sanitation District. No actions were taken after the executive session.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Dec 12 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Oct. 10 – Board receives preliminary 2025 budget, considers rate increase

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its October meeting, Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) General Manager Jeff Hodge presented a preliminary budget for 2025, prompting discussions of capital projects and a rate increase. The board voted to put the question of eliminating term limits to the voters. The board heard financial and operational reports.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere attended remotely and Board Vice President Bill George facilitated the meeting.

Preliminary budget assumes rate increase

Hodge presented a preliminary budget that anticipates total revenue of $11.010 million and total expenditures of $10.250 million for the 2025 fiscal year and includes a proposed 9.25% increase in rates. The budget includes $3.15 million for eight capital projects:

  • $500,000 to continue the rehabilitation of water tanks.
  • $395,144 for video inspection of the sewer system.
  • $500,000 for the Loop water reuse project.
  • $500,000 for rehabilitation of two wells.
  • $75,000 for fire mitigation at Willow Creek Ranch.
  • $245,000 for water supply/reuse water.
  • $650,000 for water treatment facilities.
  • $290,000 for the aquifer storage and retrieval (ASR) project.

Hodge told the board the district had retained Raftelis, a company that does financial modeling and rate studies for local governments and utilities, to review DWSD’s capital projects, financial policies, rates, and reserves in preparation for the 2025 budget process.

Director Ed Miller asked Hodge what could be removed from the list of capital projects if only $2.5 million were available. Hodge answered that some projects could be put off, but that would lead to more expensive projects later. If ASR were removed from the list, that would change water supplies for the next 20 years. Hodge noted that long-term capital projects totaled $23 million. Miller said the proposed increase would not fund any of the long-term capital projects. Hodge said the rate increase would allow the district to build reserves that could be used for those projects.

Miller asked Hodge to provide a water balance report to help inform decisions about capital projects. Miller pointed out that the district’s wells had not been properly maintained 10 years ago. “They were left to corrode,” he said. He added he did not feel good about forecasting expenses for projects that might not be needed. Miller proposed waiting until money had been spent before raising rates. Hodge said the district had $3 million in the bank and could not issue bonds based on revenue. Any bond would need voter approval.

Director Scott McCollough said he considered water tank rehabilitation the first priority, fire mitigation at the Willow Creek Ranch to be the second priority, and the Loop water reuse project to be the third priority. George said he thought all the capital projects were necessary and kicking the can down the road would increase costs.

McCollough said he had a visceral reaction to a rate increase of 9.25%, and he suggested extending the timeline for addressing capital projects. Superintendent of Water Operation Ronny Wright said prices were rising quickly and the district needed to address issues not handled by previous boards.

Hodge argued that the board could wait until emergency expenditures were needed or it could budget for problems before they occur. He gave the recent sudden failure of Well 1A as an example of an unexpected cost and said DWSD could lose two more wells in 2025. He pointed out that the district had a policy requiring 180 days of operating funds, about $1.2 million, in reserve. He said reserves could be reduced for 90 days.

Miller suggested a rate increase of 4% and suggested waiting on some of the capital projects.

Hodge emphasized that the capital projects were “what you need to keep the water flowing.”

Miller suggested delaying the ASR project by a year or two to save $4.7 million.

Vanderschuere said he wanted to find savings on capital projects that would reduce the rate increase to a more palatable 4 to 6%.

Helen Malenda-Lawrence of LRE Water, a company that advises DWSD on its wells and well field, said two wells needed to be rehabilitated in 2025 “because they haven’t been run properly and haven’t been maintained.” Video inspection of the wells showed they are “really bad,” she said.

Miller suggested, later in the meeting, that DWSD might want to sell Willow Creek Ranch and use the money for other purposes.

Hodge said he would make changes to the budget and try to reduce the proposed rate increase to 4%. McCollough said he would like to meet with Hodge to discuss the dependencies between the capital projects. Hodge added that five years ago, the district was delivering about 1,200 acre-feet of water to customers but that has dropped in recent years to 850 acre-feet. He said rates need to be set at a level where consumption stays consistent.

Voters will decide on term limits

At previous meetings, the board discussed the difficulty of finding candidates to serve on the board and the problems arising from the turnover of board members. The board asked its lawyer if the board’s four-year terms could be extended, but was told its only option was to put a measure on the ballot removing term limits altogether.

At the October meeting, the board voted on whether it would ask voters to remove term limits. Directors Kevin Deardorff, George, and Vanderschuere voted to put removal of term limits on the ballot; Miller and McCollough voted against doing so.

Financial report

In his summary of district finances, Hodge reported $200,000 in water sales revenue in September, and noted 2024 was a much better year than 2023 for revenue from water sales because 2023 had been exceptionally rainy. Other revenues were on track, he said, and expenses were below budget.

Operational reports

In his manager’s report, Hodge said Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) had asked him to reconsider participating in the North Monument Creek Interceptor (NMCI) project, which would eliminate DWSD’s need to treat its own wastewater. Hodge explained NMCI, unlike the Loop, does not offer the district a way to reuse 400 acre-feet of treated effluent. He said he would continue the discussion with CSU.

Malenda-Lawrence reported on the failure of Wells 11D and 1A. Both pumps were at the end of their expected life. 11D is an important well because it can feed the Holbein treatment plant directly, without the need to use the pipeline adjacent to Baptist Creek Road that is subject to ruptures because it rests on rock. Well 11D failed due to corrosion. The district’s groundwater is corrosive, Malenda-Lawrence said. Work on the well to date had cost $25,000, she said; she recommended cleaning the well and replacing the drop pipe. She estimated the cost to rehabilitate Well 11D would exceed $200,000.

The well can produce more than 350 gallons per minute after rehabilitation, she said. Well 1A was plugged at a point where two dissimilar metals met, which caused corrosion. In addition, the well has two small holes. The cost to repair 1A would be similar to the cost for 11D. The well is permitted to produce up to 400 gallons per minute, she said.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 21 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Sept. 19- -Board continues term limit debate

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its September meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board continued its discussion of waiving its current policy which allows directors to serve a maximum of two four-year terms. The board heard financial and operational reports.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere was excused from the meeting. Board Vice President Bill George facilitated the meeting.

Lawyer explains constraints on term limits

General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that he had received a memo from Linda Glesne of CEGR Law, the district’s legal team, addressing the district’s discussion about extending the terms of incumbent directors or allowing them to serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. The issue was discussed at the board’s August meeting. Glesne wrote that the board does not have the authority to extend terms or waive term limits, but it can call an election to ask the voters to do so. Voter approval must be obtained before the Feb. 28, 2025 deadline for submitting candidate nomination forms for the May 2025 election. She said incumbent board members would not need to recuse themselves on a vote calling for an election.

Hodge said the current policy on term limits made it difficult to maintain continuity regarding long-term projects such as the Loop water re-use effort. George used himself as an example, pointing out that after his first two terms he was “beginning to get smart.” He was then required to leave the board for four years before running for another term. Director Ed Miller said, as a general principle, he was in favor of term limits.

The board took no action following the discussion, but there was a consensus to consider putting the issue before the voters at a future time.

Financial report

In his summary of district finances, Hodge said he believed DWSD was on track to collect the $650,000 in water revenue for which the district had budgeted. Revenue from property taxes was also on track. Hodge estimated the impact of the changes to property taxes enacted in the special session of the Legislature to be a reduction of about $23 per year for each $500,000 of home value. “This isn’t going to shut us down,” he said.

In terms of expenditures, Hodge said there was nothing unusual except the cost of a water main break adjacent to Baptist Creek Road. He said the district had saved money by making sparing use of its water from Willow Creek Ranch that it pays Colorado Springs Utilities to convey, treat, and deliver. That water is expensive, Hodge said.

Operational reports

In his manager’s report, Hodge noted the impact of the water line break that Water Operator Joe Lopez discovered on the Friday morning preceding the Labor Day weekend. The water line was PVC pipe that was installed directly on top of solid rock. Lack of proper space under the pipe caused it to push against the rock each time a pump started, causing a 20-foot section of the pipe to split. Hodge estimated repairing the line cost the district between $50,000 and $60,000.

Hodge said about two miles of the pipe were installed on rock and it was likely there would be further breaks in the future. He said that rather than repairing the entire two-mile portion, the district’s money would be better spent on wells 4A and 11D, which could supply water to the Holbein Treatment Plant without using the pipe in question.

Water Operator Ronny Wright gave the board an update on the work being done to rehabilitate the district’s two water storage tanks. Wright said the walls of the West Tank were in good shape but the structural elements at the top of the tank needed more repairs than expected. The West Tank is 45 years old, he said, and the I-beam that provides the center of support “is shot.” Hodge said a cost estimate was needed before repairs could proceed.

Wright had better news about the East Tank, saying its rehabilitation was complete and it was back in service, with a small leak that was being repaired by divers.

Hodge told the board that Well 1A, which has been an important water source for the last 3½ years, is offline and LRE Water has been engaged to diagnose and repair it. Well 16A, the district’s newest well, is now fully online and is filling the gap resulting from Well 1A’s problems, he said.

Hodge commended Water Operator Ross Robinson for the presentation he gave on DWSD’s radium mitigation efforts, along with Mathieu Medina of Corona Environmental Consulting, at a recent wastewater conference. Hodge said it can be hard to be the first to address a problem, but “you get to write your own rules.”

Above: On Aug. 30, the Friday before Labor Day, Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) Water Operator Joe Lopez noticed water running down Baptist Road. At the same time, equipment was measuring a drop in water in one of Donala’s water tanks. Lopez diagnosed the problem as a water main break on Baptist Road near Fox Run Regional Park. The PVC pipe, installed many years before directly on bedrock, was stressed each time a pump turned until a 20-foot split occurred. General Manager Jeff Hodge estimated the repair cost to be between $50,000 and $60,000. He said the district would focus on repairing other wells that feed its water treatment plant directly and removing dependence on the old pipeline. Photo courtesy of Donala Water and Sanitation District.
Above: At its Sept. 19 board meeting, Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) heard from Water Operator Ronny Wright that one of the two tanks the district is rehabilitating needs more work than anticipated. Wright said the West Tank, which is 45 years old, has extensive issues with the I-beams supporting the top of the tank, and the district was obtaining a cost estimate before proceeding with the repair. The East Tank, he noted, is back in service. Photo courtesy of Donala Water and Sanitation District.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Aug. 15 – Board debates waiving term limits

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its August meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board discussed waiving its current policy which allows directors to serve a maximum of two four-year terms. Removing term limits would need approval from the district’s voters. The board heard operational reports. Directors Bill George and Ed Miller were excused from the meeting.

Term limit policy considered

General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that the current policy limiting directors to two four-year terms could lead to discontinuity where long-term projects, such as the district’s participation in the Loop water re-use effort, were concerned, and made it hard to find candidates to serve on the board. He asked the board to consider putting a waiver to the term limit policy before the voters in February.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said previous boards had considered changing the term limit policy, but the policy is difficult for small districts. He said he would be affected by retaining or changing the policy and would recuse himself from any votes.

Director Kevin Deardoff said it was hard to find people to run for seats on the board and he would support removing the limit of two terms.

Director Scott McCullough said he supported term limits in general and would not like to see the same people serving on the board forever. He asked if it was possible to extend the terms beyond four years but retain the limit to two terms. Hodge said the state of Colorado allowed only a limit to two terms or no limit whatsoever.

Vanderschuere said he agreed with McCullough on a philosophical level but thought waiving the term limit made sense for DWSD. The current policy allows a director to serve additional terms after four years off the board. He suggested the required time off the board could be reduced. He asked for the issue to be tabled until September when all the board members would be present.

Hodge said he would discuss potential alternatives with the district’s lawyer.

Operational reports

In his financial report, Hodge said the district’s finances were in better shape than they were at the same time in the previous year. He said $700,000 in water sales were needed over the remaining half of the year to meet the estimated revenue budgeted, and he expected that amount to be met. The district was not using water from its Willow Creek Ranch property and was not paying Colorado Springs Utilities to convey, treat, and deliver that water, which represented a savings of about $900,000. Bond payments were made on schedule, he said.

The board tabled a vote on the financial report until its September meeting, due to the excused absence of two members.

In his manager’s report, Hodge commented on the special legislative session underway at the state capital to discuss reducing property taxes. Potential changes to the property taxes collected by counties would impact DWSD’s finances, Hodge said.

Progress was being made on Well 16A and on the repairs to the district’s water tanks, Hodge said.

Brett Gracely, a project engineer with LRE Water, told the board that he was considering how DWSD could store water in Turquoise Lake or in the Willow Creek Reservoir due to the Pueblo Reservoir nearing its capacity.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 19 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, July 18 – Board considers request to exclude property

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

The July meeting of the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board was preceded by a workshop and tour of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF), which the district operates jointly with the Academy Water and Sanitation District, the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District, and the Triview Metropolitan District. The board held a public hearing on a request to exclude a property from the DWSD service area. During public comments, a resident questioned a large bill he received for water service. The board heard operational reports, and the meeting ended with an executive session.

Treatment facility tour

During the board’s tour of its wastewater treatment facility at 14770 Jumping Mouse View, it inspected recently completed repairs to one of the facility’s three sequential batch reactors. The board also saw the sludge removal process and the flume through which treated effluent is discharged into Monument Creek. The facility staff also demonstrated a newly acquired truck mounted valve operator, made by Wachs Utility Products, that will help the district maintain its underground valves.

Public hearing on property exclusion

A public hearing was held on a request from Bill and Vickie Hancock to remove a portion of their property at 15220 Leather Chaps Drive from the district’s service area. General Manager Jeff Hodge explained that the Hancocks wanted to subdivide their 5-acre lot into two 2.5-acre lots, one of which would use an existing well and therefore would not need water service from DWSD. Board President Wayne Vanderschuere pointed out that should the Hancocks ever want to rejoin the district, they would have to pay a tap fee.

The board briefly considered Resolution 2024-6, which would grant the exclusion, but DWSD Attorney Madison Phillips pointed out that the board had not received a signed petition from the Hancocks, one of whom was in the hospital. The board took no action on the resolution and kept the hearing open until the required petition was received.

Resident questions big bill

Resident George Urteaga used the public comment portion of the meeting to tell the board that he had received a bill for 60,000 gallons of water, which he believed was incorrect. He said he had hired two companies to check for leaks in his irrigation system and they found none. He said the excessive usage occurred over a period of three days and he did not believe that amount of water could be delivered in that time. Hodge told him that, based on the size of his tap and the water pressure in his neighborhood, 60,000 gallons of water could have been delivered over the course of three days. Hodge offered to have Urteaga’s water meter checked for accuracy.

Operational reports

In his financial report, Hodge said water sales in the first six months of 2024 were in line with the budget. Revenue from property taxes was trickling in. He said the district had delivered a little of the water from its Willow Creek Ranch property that it pays Colorado Springs Utilities to convey, treat and deliver, but the costs of doing so were offset by the revenue the district received from leasing water to the Arkansas Groundwater and Reservoir Association.

The board voted unanimously to approve the financial report.

Water Operator Joe Lopez told the board that El Paso County had, in response to high temperatures, unexpectedly purchased about 37,000 gallons of water from the district, lowering the levels in the district’s storage tanks. Vanderschuere said the district should insist on advance notice of such purchases in the future.

On the wastewater side, Chief Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman reported E. coli numbers were well within the allowable level. The treatment facility processed 28 million gallons of waste in the previous month.

Brett Gracely, a project engineer with LRE Water, told the board that plans for aquifer storage and retrieval (ASR), a technology that will store excess water underground to avoid loss due to evaporation, were proceeding and the hardware needed for ASR was being designed.

Roger Sams, of GMS Engineering Inc., told the board that repairs to the district’s storage tanks were almost complete.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss the Member Agency Financing and Contribution Agreement recently drafted by the Loop water reuse project. DWSD is one of three water districts that have committed to the Loop.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 15 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, June 20 – Loop water reuse project discussed

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

In June, District Manager Jeff Hodge gave the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board a detailed update on the status of the water reuse project, often called The Loop, in which DWSD is an active participant, along with Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District and Cherokee Metropolitan District. The board also considered a recommendation from Brett Gracely, a project engineer with LRE Water, to lease surface water from DWSD’s Willow Creek Ranch to the Arkansas Groundwater and Reservoir Association (AGRA). (Arkansas in this instance refers to the Arkansas River, not the state.) The board also heard financial and operational reports.

The Loop focuses on financing, member obligations, and easements

Hodge told the board that The Loop leadership is drafting a Member Agency Financing and Contribution Agreement that will define the benefits and responsibilities of participating agencies. He mentioned that some of the agencies are seeing personnel changes that will affect who represents them on The Loop board. A “Go or No Go” decision is expected from participating agencies in September. The agreement will help The Loop get the bonds needed to complete the project, Hodge said. DWSD was slated to receive 500 acre-feet of water per year, roughly 13% of the water produced, at a cost between $20 million and $25 million. That amount is equal to the cost of drilling eight wells, Hodge said. He pointed out that the average productive life of a well is 40 years, but The Loop, which will allow customers to reuse return flows from DWSD’s treatment facility after they have made their way through the watershed to Fountain Creek, will have a useful lifetime closer to 100 years.

Recalling the history of The Loop, Hodge explained that when American Recovery Plan Act funds became available in 2021, The Loop’s board asked for $145 million, enough to complete the entire project, but received $4 million, enough to reimburse the seed money that participating agencies invested in the project. Initially, the participating agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding to get the project underway, and then formed the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority

Hodge said The Loop was still discussing how it could partner with Colorado Springs Utilities, which has its own goals for water reuse. He also pointed out that some of the initiatives expected on the ballot in November could impact the financing for DWSD.

At The Loop meeting held earlier in the day on June 20, a contract was awarded to a company that will manage the acquisition of the easements needed by the pipeline that will convey The Loop’s water from Fountain Creek to customers in northern El Paso County. Purchasing the easements represents a risk for the project, Hodge said. See The Loop board meeting article on page < 17 >.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere asked Hodge to get the agreement to the DWSD board for review as soon as possible so that the board would have enough time to review it thoroughly.

District decides to lease water

Gracely told the board that due to heavier than usual precipitation over the last year, some of the reservoirs where DWSD stores water are full, leading to the risk that some of DWSD’s water stored in those reservoirs might need to be released rather than delivered to customers. AGRA has a beneficial use for surface water from the Willow Creek Ranch owned by DWSD and stored in the Pueblo Reservoir. Permission was granted by the state’s engineer for AGRA to use a portion of DWSD’s water stored in the Pueblo Reservoir, Gracely said.

Gracely asked the board to give Hodge the authority to enter a revised or new lease with AGRA, subject to review by the district’s water counsel. The board voted unanimously to give Hodge that authority.

Operational reports

In his financial report, Hodge said water sales were on track to meet revenue goals in 2024. In 2023 abundant rainfall meant residents had less need to water lawns and gardens and that reduced the district’s revenue from water sales. Hodge anticipated that tap fees would generate higher than budgeted revenue because of a 44-home residential development planned by Classic Homes adjacent to the Big R Store east of I-25. Property taxes were being received as expected, Hodge said.

Hodge said legal review of the district’s agreement with The Loop would raise legal fees slightly, and upgrades to the district’s phone system would raise the large office equipment budget line item.

The board voted unanimously to approve the financial report.

Water Operator Ronny Wright told the board progress was being made in returning Well 16A to production. Issues with Well 1A were being analyzed, he said. Wright said he expected the repairs to the district’s water storage tanks to be complete before July.

On the wastewater side, Chief Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman reported E. coli numbers were down from the previous month at about 14% of the allowable level.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 18 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, May 16 – Audit report positive

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

In May, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board heard an audit report from Tom Sistare of Hoelting and Co. Inc. on the district’s 2023 finances. The board heard comments from resident Tammy Ball and operational reports from district staff and from consultants. The meeting ended with an executive session, after which no actions were taken.

Good news on 2023 finances

Sistare told the board he had good news concerning the district’s 2023 audit. The district staff was well-prepared for process walkthroughs he performed in early March and the audit went smoothly, he said. He issued an “unmodified, or clean, opinion” in the audit report, as he has in the past.

The audit report included these highlights:

  • DWSD’s total assets exceeded its total liabilities at the close of the 2023 financial year by almost $47 million.
  • The district’s total net position increased in 2023 by $2.5 million.
  • Capital assets net of depreciation increased by $19,895 from the prior year.
  • DWSD’s total outstanding long-term debt decreased by $396,897 due to the payment of loans.

Sistare noted DWSD’s operational expenses were up 10.5 %. They declined by 8.5% in 2022.

Resident asks for help with repair schedule

Tammy Baugh, representing the Donala Club Villas Townhomes Association, told the board the association had issues with broken water lines and sewer backups and needed to make repairs to roads. She asked the board to advise her about repairs to water and sewer lines DWSD might have planned so that road repairs would not have to be redone. The roads could be damaged by the line repair work.

District Manager Jeff Hodge said repairs to the association’s lines had been delayed because the funds were redirected to the repair of eight of the district’s 12 wells. He said some of the failures Ball mentioned were service lines, for which the residents, not the district, are responsible.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere told Baugh he would make sure the association got as much lead time as possible when the district scheduled repairs to its lines.

Water Operator Ronny Wright told Baugh he believed the association’s service line problems were due to the use of dissimilar metals that degraded over time.

Manager’s report

During his manager’s report, Hodge told the board he was expecting a memo from DWSD Attorney Linda Glesne outlining any compliance issues that arose from the last legislative session.

Hodge said the release of 400 acre-feet of water owned by DWSD from the Pueblo Reservoir, which was anticipated last month, had not happened. Consultant Brett Gracely of LRE Water explained this further in his report below.

In his comments on the Loop water reuse project, on whose board Hodge serves, he said the City of Fountain is considering becoming a participating district.

Operational reports

  • Wright and Chief Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman reported normal operations for water and wastewater.
  • Consultant Roger Sams, of GMS Engineering Inc., said spot blasting was underway in the first of the water tanks the district is rehabbing. He predicted the tank would be back in operation by the end of summer when demand for water is at its highest.
  • Gracely told the board Pueblo Reservoir had reversed its decision that it was necessary to release water for safety reasons. He said snowpack was still high and snow is continuing to fall at higher altitudes.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to deliver Hodge’s annual performance review.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 20 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other water and sanitation district articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, April 18 – Board discusses financial policy, water demand

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

In April, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board held a workshop and a regular board meeting, both on April 18. The workshop focused on the district’s financial policy and its projected water demand. During the regular board meeting, the board heard operational reports.

Financial policy based on four funds

General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that the district’s total reserves were $9.5 million. That total amount is divided among four funds: the Bond Reserve Fund, the Strategic Reserve Fund, the Capital Reserve Fund, and the Operating Reserve Fund.

The Bond Reserve Fund is established by the issuance of bonds, and the funds are protected by bond covenants. The funds are used to pay down principal or in the case of default. The target level for this fund is established when bonds are issued and may be recalculated as bonds are paid off.

The Strategic Reserve Fund is established with income from property taxes that exceeds annual operating and capital expenses. New water rights and new infrastructure such as storage tanks and pipelines are financed through this fund. The target level changes based on buying and building opportunities.

The Capital Reserve Fund is financed by capital revenues such as the sale of water, and the funds are used for capital projects required by water and wastewater infrastructure and for major purchases such as vehicles and major equipment. The target level for this fund varies based on development activity. Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said this fund required special attention as its current balance is $3.5 million and that amount could be dispersed very quickly.

The Operating Reserve Fund protects the district from unforeseen cost increases such as increases in water costs, wastewater treatment costs, energy costs, and emergency repairs. The fund should contain six months of average operating expenses.

In his discussion of water demand, Hodge said DWSD’s three-year average water production was 765 acre-feet per year, and its three-year average for billable water was 745 acre-feet per year. The district has about four times the storage tank capacity it requires, he said. Electricity costs 9 cents per kilowatt hour, but renewable energy will cost more, Hodge said.

Overall, Hodge estimated the district has water available to meet demand for the next five to 10 years. Once complete, Hodge said, the Loop project would provide DWSD 800 acre-feet per year, enough to meet the need for indoor water demand. He added the Loop project’s effort to include Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) infrastructure in its design was a “dead end” because CSU was demanding Loop water have the same treatment requirements as water coming out of the Pueblo Reservoir, which was not practical for Loop water. Hodge estimated that in 10 years, Loop water would be DWSD’s primary water source.

Manager’s report

During his manager’s report, Hodge gave the board a summary of the Loop project’s progress. He said the Loop board had put out a Request for Proposal for firms to handle positioning and acquiring easements for 17 miles of pipeline that will make up the southern portion of the Loop infrastructure and will run from the Calhan Reservoir to the Hamlin Tank. The Loop board was also working on the design for a treatment facility that will be located on Woodmoor Ranch, he said.

Hodge said a quarterly meeting between himself and representatives of Forest Lakes Metropolitan District and Triview Metropolitan District to discuss operation of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF), a facility the three districts share, had been congenial and productive.

Operational reports

  • In his water report, Water Operator Ronny Wright said the district’s newest well, 16A, should be in production by mid-summer. The testing so far shows the well to be viable and usable. Consultant Roger Sams said he expected the state of Colorado to take six to 12 weeks to evaluate the water samples from the well. Sams said Mountain View Electrical Association was finishing its portion of the well installation and all the necessary equipment had been purchased.
  • Chief Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman said E. coli levels at the treatment plant were slightly higher than last month but well under the limit.
  • Consultant Brett Gracely, of LRE Water, told the board that due to high water levels in the Pueblo Reservoir, which resulted from snowmelt and precipitation, water had to be released. About 499 million gallons of water belonging to DWSD had to be released, Gracely said.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 16 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, March 21 – Good news on radium, PFAS

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its March meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board heard good news on water quality from General Manager Jeff Hodge. El Paso County Commissioner Holly Williams gave the board an overview of the county’s study of the Denver basin aquifers. The board also heard operational reports.

Radium and PFAS at low levels

Hodge told the board that the hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) adsorption technology the district had implemented had reduced radium in the water DWSD delivers to its customers from the Holbein water treatment plant. The maximum contaminant level for radium is 5 pCi/L and DWSD water had tested at 5.1 pCi/L in 2022, Hodge said. Recent testing showed radium at 1.2 pCi/L, well within the limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Hodge gave the board information developed by Merrick Inc., the engineering company DWSD hired to design its HMO system, that told the history of the radium mitigation project. The presentation tracked the project from the enforcement order DWSD received in 2022 through the third cycle of radium testing completed in December 2023. The project included new equipment and training for staff. The materials credited the district’s culture of transparent collaborative decision-making as contributing to the success of the effort.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere pointed out that DWSD had used federal funds allocated to the district by the El Paso Board of County Commissioners effectively.

Hodge also had good news concerning the level of PFAS chemicals in district water. PFAS, the common name for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are used in a wide variety of consumer products, have been linked to diseases such as kidney and testicular cancer. Hodge said the district’s water did not contain a measurable amount of PFAS at present, but testing would continue.

Williams discusses county water availability study

Williams opened her discussion of a water availability study planned by the county by making a distinction between “paper water”—that is, legal rights to water—and “wet water,” that is, water in the ground. Williams said the county has not done a study of the Denver basin aquifers since the 1980s and wants a better understanding of the current state of those aquifers. The aquifers are depleting, she said, adding, “there’s not as much water as we thought there was.”

Williams said the county commissioners wanted DWSD, Triview Metropolitan District, Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Monument Water Department, Palmer Lake Water Department and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District to contribute data to the study.

Williams said the county has a 300-year water rule, adopted in the 1980s, that requires new developments to prove access to adequate water for that length of time. Hydraulic conditions have changed since then. Other entities have a 100-year threshold, she said. Williams said there is plenty of room to grow in the Black Forest neighborhood.

Williams said the study would assess the available water in each of the Denver basin aquifers, identify the top and bottom of each aquifer, and evaluate geospatial data to assess potential limitations on water availability. A final report would be written that would guide water supply regulations. Williams said lot sizes could be adjusted to make available water last longer.

Vanderschuere said DWSD had reached similar conclusions and had begun investigating indirect potable reuse, aquifer storage and recovery, and direct potable reuse.

Operational reports

  • In his financial report, Hodge noted water sales are slow, as they always are at this time of year. Expenses are on track. Hodge also mentioned that the district’s audit went well.
  • Consultant Brett Gracely, of LRE Water, told the board DWSD has been awarded a $290,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board to continue the district’s work on aquifer storage and recovery, a technology that pumps excess water back into aquifers for storage and future use.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 18 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Feb. 15 – Board considers request to extend service area

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its February meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board discussed a request to extend its service area to include a portion of the Falcon Commerce Center. It extended an existing water lease. The board also heard operational reports.

Request for sewer service raises questions

General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that he had received a request from the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD) to provide sewer service to a proposed development in the southern end of the Falcon Commerce Center. The center is west of I-25 and south of Baptist Rd., and its northern portion is home to the Pilot Travel Center, QuikTrip, and the United Parcel Service Customer Center. FLMD requested DWSD to allow future development in the southern end of the center to connect to a 24-inch sewer line owned by DWSD, Hodge said. FLMD currently receives sewer service from Triview Metropolitan District (TMD).

In response to a question from board President Wayne Vanderschuere, Hodge speculated that FLMD was requesting service from DWSD rather than from TMD because it would be cheaper than using TMD’s infrastructure. Hodge said he would prefer that FLMD install a lift station that would allow the flow to be metered. Vanderschuere pointed out that, if the connection were allowed, DWSD would need to account for an additional return flow.

Hodge said any future development in the Falcon Commerce Center would not be allowed to impinge on DWSD’s easement for the sewer line.

Vanderschuere pointed out that granting access to the sewer line would raise accounting issues.

Hodge said it was not decided how the property in question would be developed; it could be commercial or residential. Vanderschuere said the property was just east of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) and that any residential development should not be able to complain about the odor from the facility. He also pointed out that, if access was approved, the price would need to be beneficial to DWSD’s core customers. He added that the Northern Monument Creek Interceptor project, the future of which is not clear, could also complicate this issue.

The board did not act on the request. Hodge said he would meet with representative of FLMD later in February.

Water lease renewed

Hodge asked the board to renew an agreement between the district and Martin Marietta that allows the company to lease up to 135 acre-feet per year of treated effluent from the Upper Monument Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. According to the lease agreement, Martin Marietta needs the water to replace evaporative depletions and to support gravel mining operations at the Rich Pit in Pueblo County. Martin Marietta will pay DWSD $300 per acre-foot of water.

The board voted unanimously to renew the lease for a two-year term.

Operational reports

In his manager’s report, Hodge gave the board an update on progress made by the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, known as the Loop, which is working to build the infrastructure needed to capture effluent discharged by treatment plants in the northern part of the county from Fountain Creek, treat it, and return it to customers in the four participating water districts.

Hodge said the Loop is discussing governance issues with Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU). The loop is considering using CSU’s Edward Bailey Water Treatment Plant rather than building its own treatment plant. Hodge said he was concerned that upper management at CSU does not have a clear strategy for water reuse projects. He said that if CSU management did not buy into the Loop’s plan, the Loop would return to its original plan to build its own treatment facility. Hodge said the Loop would meet with CSU in March to try to resolve outstanding issues.

Water Operator Ronny Wright told the board that scheduled rehabilitation of the district’s water tanks was scheduled to begin on May 1. He said Well 16A should be operational in the next few months and available for use by summer.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 21 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me.

Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Jan. 9 and 18 – Budget adopted and mill levies certified

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board held a special meeting on Jan. 9 that included a public hearing on its 2024 budget. After the hearing, it adopted the budget and appropriated the necessary funds, set rates, and certified mill levies. It held a regular board meeting on Jan. 18, during which it passed its annual administrative resolution, set a schedule for board meetings, and heard operational reports.

Budget, rates, and mill levies wrapped up

At the Jan. 9 meeting, board President Wayne Vanderschuere opened a public hearing on the proposed 2024 budget, which had been discussed by the board at previous meetings. Information in the board packet noted that, due to actions taken by the state Legislature following the failure of Proposition HH, the district’s property tax revenue had increased by $416,080 and the budget had been adjusted accordingly. There were no comments from the public, and Vanderschuere closed the hearing.

Following the hearing, the board passed, with a unanimous vote, Resolution 2024-1, which adopted the budget, estimated expenditures for 2024 to be $23 million and estimated total revenues to be $33 million. Accounts Payable Specialist Christina Hawker explained that total revenues include the district’s savings and reserves. The board also voted unanimously in favor of Resolution 2024-2, which appropriated the same required funds.

Next, the board passed Resolution 2023-9, which sets new rates for 2024. The changes to rates were reported in the February issue of Our Community News here: ocn.me/v24n1.htm#dwsd.

Finally, the board certified its mill levies for 2024. Resolution 2024-3 set a mill levy of 21.296 mills for all the district’s service area except the Chaparral Hills neighborhood. Resolution 2024-4 set a mill levy of 10.648 mills for Chaparral Hills. Homes in Chaparral Hills use septic systems, do not connect to the district’s wastewater system and therefore pay a lower rate.

Administrative resolutions

At its Jan. 18 meeting, the board passed Resolution 2024-5, which establishes rules by which the board will operate, such as the timelines for budget approval and other required financial reporting and where legal and meeting notices will be published. This resolution must be updated annually.

The board also set the location, dates, and times for its 2024 board meetings. That schedule is published on the district’s webpage here: www.donalawater.org/images/docs/2023_Meeting_Schedule.pdf.

Highlights of financial, operational reports

  • In his manager’s report, General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that the district came in under budget for the previous year.
  • Hodge said Classic Homes had proposed a residential development, consisting of 49 homes, adjacent to the Big R store and just east of I-25. To avoid paying a tap fee for each house built, Classic Homes had asked for all the homes to use a single water tap and meter. Typically, each residence has its own water and sewer tap, and the builder pays a fee for those taps when a house is built.
  • Water Operator Ronny Wright told the board that the study of hydrous manganese oxide to reduce radium levels in the district’s water was complete and he would submit it to the state after some fine tuning. After state approval, the district would begin using a process to remediate radium using hydrous manganese oxide technology, and all radium compliance issues should be resolved by the second quarter of 2025.

**********

The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Dec. 7 – Water and sewer rates to increase in 2024

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its December meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board held a public hearing and took a vote on a resolution setting new water and sewer rates that will take effect in 2024. The board briefly reviewed its proposed budget for 2024. It also heard financial and operational reports.

New rates for 2024

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere opened a public hearing on water and sewer rates. Resolution 2023-9 leaves most fees and charges unchanged but raises the district’s tiered water usage rates by 4% for all tiers. It increases the sewer service base fee to $7.14 per month plus $9.95 per thousand gallons of wastewater produced. The minimum wastewater service rate increases to $31.89 from $30.66 per month. Construction water will cost $18.39 per thousand gallons and will not be sold for use outside district boundaries. Residential water and sewer tap fees remain unchanged at $8,500. Commercial water tap fees for both ¾-inch and 1-inch lines will increase to $9,350.

The board voted unanimously in favor of the resolution.

2024 budget review

Christina Hawker, the district’s Accounts Payable specialist, told the board that when Proposition HH failed, the state Legislature held a special session to address property taxes. The special session pushed back the date by which DWSD must submit its budget so that final property assessments, which are needed for DWSD to finalize its 2024 budget, can be calculated. The final assessments are needed when the district calculates its mill levy, she said. The board scheduled a special meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 1:30 p.m. at the district’s office at 15850 Holbein Drive to approve the new mill levy and submit the proposed budget to the state. Hawker said it would be simple to update the proposed budget once the final mill levy is determined.

Highlights of financial and operational reports

  • General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that despite lower water sales the district would end the year in the black on water sales.
  • Hodge said interest on the district’s financial reserves would cover the district’s bond payments.
  • Water Operator Ronny Wright told the board that the study of hydrous manganese oxide to reduce radium levels in the district’s water was complete and he expected a response from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment by April.
  • Vanderschuere told the board that a water district near Pittsburgh had its program logic controllers (PLCs), which were made by an Israeli company, hacked by Hamas. Vanderschuere and Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman told the board that DWSD uses PLCs from other manufacturers that are not vulnerable to the exploit used in Pittsburgh.

**********

A special meeting on the 2024 budget in scheduled for Jan. 9. The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Nov. 16 – District ends 2023 under budget

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its November meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board heard a financial report from General Manager Jeff Hodge and operational reports from Water Operator Ronny Wright and Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman.

2023 finances in the black

Hodge told the board that at the end of October, the district was about $400,000 under budget. Lower than usual water sales due to the rainy weather were offset by the fact that DWSD spent less than expected—about $300,000—on having Colorado Springs Utilities convey, treat, and deliver water from the district’s Willow Creek Ranch to DWSD customers. Hodge said the district would not need to spend more this year on “The Loop” water re-use project, in which it participates with the Cherokee Metro District, the Town of Monument, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District. The Loop may refund $100,000 to DWSD, Hodge said. Higher interest rates benefited the district in 2023, Hodge said.

Hodge said the proposed budget for 2024 would be voted on at the Dec. 7 board meeting and a public hearing on rates would also be held. The December meeting will be held a week earlier than usual so that the budget can be submitted to the state by Dec. 15.

Highlights of operational reports

In his report on water delivery, Wright told the board about electrical problems at the R. Hull treatment plant. Motor starters failed, he said, requiring the replacement of a circuit board. The age of the circuit board made it difficult to find a replacement. Hodge asked whether the district should upgrade it or instead convey the water to the Holbein plant for treatment. There were no comments from the board, and no action was taken.

Wright also updated the board on the district’s test study of hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) technology to reduce radium in water delivered to customers. Three days of water samples treated with HMO have been sent to the state for evaluation, he said. Wright said the study is going well and he expected results from the state in April.

On the wastewater side, Tolman told the board that cracks in the walls of one of the sequential batch reactors at the Upper Monument Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant had been repaired. Board President Wayne Vanderschuere commented on the high efficiency of the plant, and Hodge said the effluent from the plant was cleaner than Monument Creek, into which the effluent is discharged.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Oct. 12 – 2024 legal budget presented

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its October meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board continued its work on a budget for 2024. It also heard operational reports.

DWSD District Manager Jeff Hodge began by pointing out that the budget before the board was a “legal” budget, in the format required by the state, with three columns showing the actual year-end figures for 2022, the projected year-end figures for 2023, and the budgeted figures for 2024.

Hodge predicted a $2 million decline in the district’s ending fund balance from 2023 to 2024 due to $1.6 million needed to repair storage tanks, leaving the district with just under $9 million in reserves in 2024. Hodge said he expected reserves to increase in 2025 and 2026.

Water sales were $3.4 million in 2022 and were projected to decrease to $2.7 million by the end of 2023, a decline of about $731,000, Hodge said. Water sales are expected to be $3.2 million in 2024. Sewer service revenue is expected to be about $1.6 million for both 2023 and 2024.

Hodge said that while the district was neither in favor of nor against Proposition HH, the 2024 budget was put together on the assumption that it would pass. The district’s general property tax revenue is budgeted to increase by $600,000 in 2024.

Interest income was $120,144 in 2022, is projected to be $446,512 at the end of 2023, and is budgeted for $594,000 in 2024.

Grant proceeds are budgeted for $1.6 million in 2024, due primarily to American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded to DWSD for radium mitigation.

Overall, revenue is expected to increase slightly in 2024, Hodge said.

On the expense side, Hodge said operating expenses were expected to double from $3.4 million in 2023 to $6.1 million in 2024 due to a requirement by the state that certain repair and maintenance projects be included in this line item.

The board scheduled a public hearing on the budget for 1:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the district offices at 15850 Holbein Drive.

Highlights of operational reports

  • Water Operator Ronny Wright told the board that the district’s study of hydrous manganese oxide technology to reduce radium levels in treated water was going well, and he expected testing to be complete by the end of 2023. The study results will be submitted to the state for review.
  • The planned maintenance on the district’s water tanks is scheduled to start in May.
  • The vault for Well 16A is complete, and work on the electrical system for the well is being scheduled.
  • Cracking in the walls of the sequential batch reactor at the Upper Monument Creek Waste Water Treatment Facility will be repaired using pressurized resin injection.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Sept. 21. Preliminary 2024 budget presented

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its September meeting, Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) General Manager Jeff Hodge and Accounts Payable specialist Christine Hawker presented a preliminary draft of the district’s 2024 budget. The board awarded a contract for rehabilitating the district’s water tanks, updated a lease to sell effluent water, and made plans to sell a surplus variable frequency drive (VFD). Finally, district staff updated the board concerning the district’s testing of hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) to reduce radium in its treated water.

2024 budget overview.

The preliminary budget presented showed an increase in total revenue from $6.86 million projected for 2023 to $7.60 million budgeted for 2024. Water sales and interest income are projected to increase in 2024. Property tax revenue for 2024 was projected to be $2.24 million; that number reflects a $600,000 decrease in the county’s assessment due to the possibility of Proposition HH passing. Hodge said the 2024 budget assumes the district will not see any increase in revenue from increased property taxes.

On the expense side, total operating expenses are estimated to increase from $4.92 million projected for 2023 to $6.24 million budgeted for 2024. In the 2024 budget, $365,351 was moved from administrative expenses to operating expenses because upgraded accounting software enables better tracking of contract services. Utility costs for 2024 are budgeted to increase by $257,000 due to an estimated 10% increase in electrical costs by Mountain View Electrical Association. Engineering costs and well maintenance costs are also projected to increase in 2024.

Total capital and bond expense is estimated to increase from $3.44 million projected for 2023 to $4.31 million budgeted for 2023.

A total of $3.57 million was budgeted for capital improvement projects in 2024, with rehabilitation of three storage tanks, filter media rehabilitation at the R. Hull treatment plant, and funding for “The Loop” water reuse project at the top of the list.

Hodge emphasized that water and sewer revenue would cover the district’s operating expenses, and he estimated DWSD would have $8 million in reserves.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said the budget would need to be presented to the state by Oct. 15 and the board would hold a special meeting on Oct. 12 to formally accept a final 2024 budget.

Water tank rehab contract awarded.

Hodge recommended the board award a contract for water tank rehabilitation to Viking Painting LLC, which bid $1.05 million to rehabilitate the district’s three tanks. The contract had previously been awarded to Swedish Industrial Coatings LLC, but that company was unable to do the work.

The board voted unanimously to award the contract as Hodge suggested.

Effluent water lease extended.

Hodge asked the board to consider extending for two years a contract for DWSD to lease up to 6.5 acre-feet of effluent water per year to Letha Robison. The state of Colorado requires pond owners to replace water lost to evaporation. Hodge explained the new contract would raise the price of the water from $150 per acre-foot to $300. The board voted unanimously to extend the contract.

Surplus VFD to be sold.

Hodge told the board he had a buyer for a VFD the district is taking offline. VFDs control the operation of the motors that drive well pumps and allow them to ramp up or down smoothly rather than being completely on or completely off, thereby saving energy costs and reducing the wear and tear on pipelines. Water Operator Ronny Wright said he expected the VFD to be sold for $7,500.

HMO testing moves forward.

Wright updated the board on the status of the demonstration project the district is running to prove that treatment with HMO will reduce to acceptable levels the radium in the water delivered to customers. Wright said samples treated with HMO were taken between Sept. 11 and 17 have been submitted for testing. Two more samples will be taken in mid-October and in November, he said, adding he expected results by late December. When all results are received, the district will have 30 days to send the results to the state. Wright said he anticipated the state would respond by April, allowing DWSD to proceed with the design of an HMO-based radium treatment process.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Aug. 17 – Electrical contract awarded

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board met in August to award a contract for electrical work on the district’s newest well. The board also heard operational reports from General Manager Jeff Hodge, who reviewed the district’s monthly finances and touched on several ongoing projects.

Well 16A nears completion

Hodge told the board that drilling and hardware installation are complete for Well 16A, which will pump from the Arapahoe aquifer. Bids are out for drilling a pipeline to connect the well to the district’s infrastructure and to construct a vault for the well. The final bid is for electrical work, Hodge said.

Roger Sams, of GMS Engineering Inc., said the electrical work consisted of conduits, wiring, and installation of some equipment that has been received. There were two bids submitted for the work, Sams said: one from McDade-Woodcock Inc. for $134,551 and a second from Sun Valley Contractors LLC for $94,406. Sams advised the district to award the contract to Sun Valley Contractors.

The board voted unanimously to award the contract to Sun Valley Contractors.

Details of operational reports

Hodge told the board that water sales had increased during July, and much of the revenue lost due to exceptionally rainy May and June had been recovered. He gave a generally positive picture of the district’s finances, remarking that electrical expenses budgeted at $73,000 would be closer to $50,000 due to the lower water usage in previous months. Repair and maintenance was also under budget, he said.

Hodge said the district was rebidding the project to recoat the district’s water tanks.

Commenting on the district’s recent changes to billing for sewer service, which took effect in July, Hodge said only four calls from the district’s 2,900 customers had been received, with two callers unhappy with the changes and two happy. Hodge said July billing for sewer service was up $20,000.

Hodge said only 57 meters remained to be replaced out of the 2,819 in the district. He noted that the new meters were better integrated with the district’s billing software, allowing office staff to have accurate real-time data to assist customers.

Summarizing progress by the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, of which DWSD is a participating district, Hodge said he noticed Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) was becoming more flexible in the options it was willing to consider for how the loop project might use CSU’s infrastructure. The loop might be able to save money by using some of CSU’s infrastructure instead of building its own, he said.

Hodge also mentioned that due to staff changes, he was now the Operator in Responsible Charge (ORC) for the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, July 20 – Board honors Judd, changes sewer billing

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its July meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board honored previous board member Ken Judd for his long service to the district. It launched a usage-based billing system for sewer service. General Manager Jeff Hodge detailed water sales over the last 10 years and discussed the impact of the exceptionally high rainfall seen in recent months on the district’s finances.

The board voted on two resolutions: the first committing to participation in the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA) and the second initiating planning for adding direct potable reuse (DPR) to the district’s portfolio of water assets. Hodge updated the board on water quality issues, focusing on radium removal. The regular board meeting was preceded by a workshop devoted to the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF), including a tour of the facility. The regular meeting ended with an executive session.

Judd receives Water Drop

Current board President Wayne Vanderschuere presented Judd with DWSD’s Water Drop award in appreciation of his long service to the district and its customers. In May, the board passed a resolution honoring Judd for serving as the board president, working on district financing, contributing to 10 district budgets, planning mill levy override campaigns, and negotiating with surrounding districts. Previous DWSD board President Ed Houle was present to see Judd accept the award. Judd’s granddaughter from Ireland also attended the ceremony.

Above: At its July board meeting, Donala board President Wayne Vanderschuere, right, presented the coveted Water Drop award to former board member Kenneth Judd, left. Judd, who resigned in May, was honored for his long service on the board, including a stint as board president. Judd had worked on district financing, contributed to 10 district budgets, planned mill levy override campaigns, and negotiated with surrounding districts. Photo by Jackie Burhans

Usage-based sewer billing starts in July

Billing Administrator Ashley Uhrin updated the board on DWSD’s new sewer billing methodology. Beginning July 1, DWSD’s flat fee of $40.54 per month for sewer service was replaced with a base fee of $6.90 plus a consumption-based charge of $8.94 per 1,000 gallons of wastewater produced. This change affects residential customers only. The consumption-based charge is calculated once a year based on average water consumption during December, January, and February, which is assumed to be equal to the amount of wastewater produced, since no irrigation is done during those months. Snowbird customers will be billed the district average for water service during the winter months, calculated at 3,500 gallons per month.

The new charges will be on August bills, Uhrin said. In response to a question from Director Bill George, Hodge said sewer revenue is estimated to remain more or less equal to the revenue produced by the previous flat fee.

More details about the usage-based rates can be found in the Jan. 1, 2022 issue of OCN, which reported on a presentation from Roger Sams of GMS Engineering Inc. that covers the assumptions and goals of the new methodology. Sams’ presentation can be found online here: https://www.ocn.me/v22n1.htm#dwsd.

Rainy weather reduces water revenue

Hodge told the board that the high amount of rain the last few months has reduced customer demand for water and lowered DWSD’s revenue from water sales. He showed the board a graph of water usage by month for the last 10 years that showed the water usage for June 2023 to be the lowest usage in June for the last 10 years. The highest June usage was in June 2013. He said low water usage was also estimated for July and possibly for August and forecasted a $754,236 deficit in water sales from what was budgeted for 2023.

Hodge said he did not believe the district would need to use funds from its reserves to meet operating costs. He pointed out that the low demand also meant the district would have to pay Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) less to convey, treat, and deliver the district’s water to its customers, so there are some savings on the expense side.

Vanderschuere said he expected wholesale electrical costs to increase by 7% next year. He added that Hodge’s graph confirmed CSU’s prediction that the standard deviation in weather events was increasing, with higher highs and lower lows for precipitation and temperature.

Water Operator Ronny Wright told the board the rainfall had led to excess water in storage, which he was trying to sell or store somewhere other than the Pueblo Reservoir, where DWSD can store up to 499 acre-feet of water. DWSD currently is above that limit, he said. Hodge said that if DWSD had its planned aquifer storage and retrieval (ASR) technology in place, that excess water could be stored for future consumption.

Resolutions passed

The board voted unanimously to pass Resolution 2023-7, which defines how and why DWSD will participate in the EPCRLWA, a large-scale water re-use project in which DWSD partners with Cherokee Metropolitan District, the Town of Monument, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District. Specifically:

  • DWSD will have an equal vote with the other participants.
  • EPCRLWA is in the best interest of DWSD customers.
  • EPCRLWA provides local control of rates, costs, and operations.
  • EPCRLWA is intended to provide affordable recaptured water.
  • EPCRLWA will allow DWSD to use its water rights on Fountain Creek.

The board also voted unanimously in favor of Resolution 2023-8, which commits DWSD to initiating a long-term project to implement DPR technology that meets Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Regulation No. 11. DPR is defined as: “a series of processes that produce finished drinking water using a source containing treated wastewater that has not passed through an environmental buffer.” The regulation, which was recently passed by the state Legislature, includes monitoring and treatment protocols. The district’s plans for DPR are aligned with its plans to implement ASR. The next step will be to establish baseline values for DPR, Vanderschuere said. Hodge stressed that the implementation of DPR would be a long journey.

Progress on radium removal

Hodge told the board that rehabilitating three filters in the Holbein water treatment plant had reduced radium to below the state’s limit. DWSD is now in a position to ask El Paso County for American Recovery Plan Act funds to reimburse it for the costs of radium removal. DWSD is working to implement hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) treatment to further mitigate radium, and some of the required hardware should arrive in the August to September timeframe. Hodge said he expected to have the HMO treatment process in place by November.

Workshop tours treatment facility

The regular board meeting was preceded by a workshop at the UMCRWWTF that included an overview of the treatment facility operations by Hodge and a tour of the facility led by Waste Plant Operator Aaron Tolman.

Above: On July 20, the Donala Water and Sanitation District held a workshop and tour at the Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility before its board meeting. General Manager Jeff Hodge provided a brief overview of the treatment facility operations, and Plant Operator Aaron Tolman led a tour of the facilities, including the three sequencing batch reactor basins. From left, the first basin is aerated by blowers to provide oxygen for the microorganisms that process the incoming wastewater; the second basin is in settle/decant mode, and the third basin is undergoing repairs. Photos by Jackie Burhans.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to receive legal advice concerning negotiations regarding the UMCRWWTF Intergovernmental Agreement.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 17 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, June 15 – Contractor selection process defined

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its June meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) debated a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) document that will be used to select engineers and other contractors. Updates of the district’s personnel policies and operating regulations were discussed. Board President Wayne Vanderschuere discussed what he learned about energy costs at a recent Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA) meeting. The board heard details of financial and operational reports.

The meeting ended with an executive session to receive legal advice on DWSD’s Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) Intergovernmental Agreement.

RFQ document approved; contractors pre-qualified

At the May board meeting, General Manager Jeff Hodge told the board that the district is receiving federal funds via the American Recovery Plan Act, and those funds bring with them a requirement to implement a standard process to evaluate contractors that aligns with federal regulations. He presented a draft of an RFQ form to be used when evaluating contractors. The board voted to refine the form and make a final decision at its next meeting.

Following discussion at the June meeting, the board committed to use the RFQ form as presented.

Hodge said four contracting companies had been evaluated using the new process. He presented the evaluations of Merrick & Co., Kimley-Horn, Meyer & Sams Inc. and LRE Water. All four companies scored between 95 and 100 points using the new evaluation process.

Hodge explained these companies were now pre-qualified to be awarded contracts up to $60,000 without further evaluation. Each company had its own areas of expertise, he said.

The board voted unanimously to approve the RFQ document and to add the four companies to the district’s list of pre-qualified contractors.

Personnel policies updated

Madison Phillips, a lawyer with Cockrel Ela Glesne Greher and Ruhland, the law firm representing the district, presented the results of her review of the district’s personnel policy document. Phillips said she had made all the substantive changes requested by the board. She mentioned that the updated policies now used the Consumer Price Index in Denver only as a data point, allowing the use of other information to determine salaries. She also said the policy for time off now specifies Paid Time Off will be used first and when that is exhausted Short Term Disability leave will be used. When that ends, the employee will transition to Long Term Disability.

The board voted unanimously to approve the updated policies.

Operating rules and regulations reviewed

The board considered a new version of its rules and regulations, which govern all aspects of the district’s operations, including how to apply for service, how service will be measured, fees, penalties and charges, control of prohibited waste, and enforcement.

Phillips said some changes had been made to align the rules with changes to the Clean Water Act.

The board voted unanimously to approve the updated rules and regulations.

Energy costs to rise

During the directors’ comments portion of the agenda, Vanderschuere told the board that he attended the MVEA annual meeting, and that he had learned that Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc., MVEA’s supplier of electrical power, will increase the wholesale price of electricity by 8% in 2023. Wholesale power costs are 66% of MVEA’s costs, since MVEA does not produce power itself. MVEA has not increased prices for residential customers in six years, he said, and it will try to cover the increased cost, but it will be difficult for them to do so.

Time of day billing, which charges MVEA’s commercial customers, including DWSD, higher rates at peak usage hours, will be a bigger factor, he said, adding that DWSD should concentrate on timing work to align with the lower-cost time periods. Vanderschuere said the price during peak hours was 24 cents per kilowatt hour and the price was 10 cents per kilowatt hour during the less expensive hours of the day.

Hodge pointed out that increasing energy costs are one of the reasons DWSD is adding variable flow devices (VFDs) to its wells. They reduce energy costs, he explained.

Vanderschuere said energy cost increase will be a factor in DWSD’s future budgets, and he thought the district should plan for the worst.

Highlights of financial and operational reports

  • Hodge said revenues for water sales were low—25% of what was expected midway through the year—due to the rainy weather. That will change during the summer months.
  • Hodge said moving to Piper Sandler Investment Bank saved DWSD $150,000.
  • Water Operator Ronny Wright said wells 1A and 8A have had VFDs installed. Well 14A was due to have a VFD installed on June 26. Well 16A, which is under construction, will also have a VFD installed. Energy suppliers are offering rebates up to $20,000 when VFDs are installed, and VFDs can be remotely managed by software to further reduce energy costs.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to receive legal advice concerning negotiations regarding the UMCRWWTF Intergovernmental Agreement.

****

The next meeting is scheduled for July 20 at 9:30 p.m. so that a tour of UMCRWWTF can be held. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, May 18 – Board reorganizes; aquifer storage and recovery study presented

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board swore in newly elected board members and reorganized at its May meeting. It heard the results of a study of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) and a report from its auditor on its 2022 finances. The board discussed a template for a Request for Qualification form that will be used when seeking engineering and consulting services. The board appointed District Manager Jeff Hodge to serve as its representative on the Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) Operations Committee and approved a bid to add a flow control vault and pipeline to well 16A.

The meeting ended with an executive session to receive legal advice on the UMCRWWTF Intergovernmental Agreement.

New members sworn in, officers elected, and Kenneth Judd honored

Kevin Deardorff, Bill George, and Scott McCollough took their oaths of office at the May meeting. Deardorff and George were re-elected; McCollough is new to the board.

Above: At the May 18 meeting of the Donala board, President Wayne Vanderschuere swore in Bill George, Scott McCullough, and Kevin Deardorff as board members. George and Deardorff were re-elected, and McCullough is new to the board. Following the swearing-in, the board elected Vanderschuere to serve a second term as president; George and Deardorff continued as vice president and treasurer/secretary, respectively. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

Following the swearing in, the board elected officers. Wayne Vanderscheuere was elected to serve a second term as president. Bill George was elected vice president. Deardorff was elected as treasurer and secretary. George and Deardorff will serve second terms in their respective offices.

The board passed a resolution expressing its appreciation for the service of Director Kenneth Judd, who stepped up to fill a seat on the board vacated by the resignation of Ed Houle when Houle moved out of the district. Judd intended to fill the position until the next election, and that is what he did. Judd had served on the DWSD board previously, and Vanderschuere commented on Judd’s contributions to a range of issues, including district financing, the preparation of 10 district budgets, the planning of mill levy overrides and fees, and negotiations with surrounding districts.

Above: At the Donala May 18 board meeting, the board recognized and thanked outgoing board member Kenneth Judd whose term had ended. Judd stepped up to fill a seat on the board vacated by the resignation of Ed Houle when Houle moved out of the district. Judd had served on the DWSD board previously, and Vanderschuere commented on Judd’s contributions to a range of issues, including district financing, the preparation of 10 district budgets, the planning of mill levy overrides and fees, and negotiations with surrounding districts. In his farewell remarks, Judd encouraged the board to understand that it serves future generations as well as today’s residents. Photo by Jackie Burhans.

In his farewell remarks, Judd encouraged the board to understand it serves future generations as well as today’s residents.

ASR feasible, study shows

Joel Barber, a hydrogeologist, and Allan Foster, a water quality expert, both of LRE Water, presented the results of a study of ASR commissioned by DWSD. ASR involves pumping excess surface water into aquifers using an existing well, which is later extracted from the same or a remote well and delivered to customers. ASR minimizes water losses to evaporation compared to storage in a reservoir and is valuable in extended droughts.

Barber explained that a study done in 2013 showed aquifers were depleting and identified this as a risk to long-term water supply. As water levels in aquifers decline, it becomes more expensive to use wells as a source of water. Three DWSD wells were tested between 2019 and 2022, and their water levels were seen to be dropping from 4 to 24 feet per year, resulting in pumping cost increases between $200 and $1,000 per year per well. Barber predicted 300 feet of decline in the aquifers that supply DWSD over the next 30 years given current usage. This is a regional trend, Barber said.

Barber estimated that implementing ASR would provide $1,000 in savings per year per well due to a potential 20-foot rise in water level. He estimated construction of a pilot ASR facility at $455,000. Cost of an acre-foot of stored and extracted water would start at $2,500 during the first year of implementation and would decline to a steady state of $800 per acre-foot by year 11 of implementation.

Barber said only treated water would be stored in aquifers, and DWSD’s treated water was compatible with the water currently in DWSD’s aquifers.

Three agencies are involved in the permitting process for ASR implementations, Barber said: the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, whose goal is to protect the health of customers; the Division of Water Resources, which addresses water quantity issues; and the Environmental Protection Agency, which focuses on water quality. There must be a single permit holder that is liable for risks, Barber said.

The presentation included a proposed 10-year implementation road map that includes a pilot phase from 2023 to 2028, a build-out and integration phase from 2028 to 2033, and an ongoing implementation phase beginning 2033.

Barber and Foster recommended DWSD move forward with an ASR pilot and pursue options for regional cooperation. ASR would give DWSD a storage option within the district that DWSD would control. Triview Metropolitan District, DWSD’s neighbor to the west, was a likely choice for collaboration, they said. They recommended that a third-party consultant administer the program if more than one district participates. They discussed the possibility of grants from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or the Colorado Conservation Board.

The board took no specific action following the presentation, but the consensus was that it would continue to work with LRE to implement ASR.

Audit shows financial health

Tom Sistare of Hoelting & Co. Inc. gave the board the results of DWSD’s 2022 finances. Sistare described DWSD as “a district that is in good shape, run by a healthy board.”

Sistare said the field work for the audit was done at the DWSD in mid-March. He questioned the staff, looked at the books and did walkthroughs of internal controls. The audit procedures were based on the results of his investigation.

Sistare gave a clean report on the district’s internal controls and an unmodified or clean report on the district’s financial statements.

Sistare said the DWSD’s total net position, or equity in the district, had increased by $1.6 million from 2021.He noted capital expenditures were up $2.7 million compared to the previous year and 2022’s tap fees were one-third of the previous year, an indication of less new construction in DWSD’s service area.

Vanderschuere asked about the impact the funds DWSD has received from the American Recovery Plan Act would have on the district’s finances. Sistare said those funds would require a grant-specific audit that drills down on compliance with federal regulations and internal controls. He recommended reviewing the district’s compliance with federal procurement policies. Hodge pointed out DWSD’s procurement procedures were recently reviewed and updated for federal compliance.

Sistare told the board he would file the audit report with the state as required.

RFQ template approved

Hodge said federal policies require the district to use a standard request for qualification (RFQ) form when contracting for professional engineering and specialized consulting services. A draft form was included in the board packet that specifies evaluation criteria such as relevant experience, firm capabilities, technical qualifications, and quality of the submittal.

DWSD Attorney Linda Glesne said her firm was familiar with this federal standard and could advise the district.

Hodge said that the district will implement radium removal using hydrous manganese oxide, and the template would be used during the bidding process to hire the engineers needed for that project. He added that when the district was working with state guidelines, an RFQ was not needed.

The board voted in favor of a motion to refine the RFQ form for final approval in June.

Hodge appointed to Operations Committee

The board voted unanimously in favor of a resolution naming Hodge as the DWSD representative on the UMCRWWTF Operations Committee. The committee oversees the operation of the waste treatment facility that DWSD currently shares with Triview Metropolitan District, Forest Lakes Metropolitan District, and Academy Water and Sanitation District.

Bid awarded

Hodge asked the board to approve a bid from KR Swerdfeger Construction LLC to construct a concrete vault for well 16A that will contain flow control, surge and pressure and waste pumping valves, as well as some additional pipeline, at a price of $355,143. The board voted unanimously to award the bid as Hodge requested.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for June 12 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at

jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, April 20 – Waste treatment plant debate continues

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board continued to discuss wastewater treatment strategies at its April meeting. Currently, DWSD shares the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF) with three other water and sanitation districts: Academy Water and Sanitation District (AWSD), Forest Lake Metropolitan District (FLMD), and Triview Metropolitan District (TMD). FMLD and TMD are considering sending their wastewater to a treatment facility run by Colorado Springs Utilities. General Manager Jeff Hodge brought the board up to date on recent communications with the managers of FLMD and TMD.

An updated contracting and procurement policy was voted on. The board also heard operational reports, and the meeting ended with an executive session to consider strategies relative to negotiations and receive legal advice concerning pending litigatiion.

UMCRWWTF likely to remain in production

In comments before the meeting, DWSD board President Wayne Vanderscheure said he believed that the UMCRWWTF would continue to operate even if FLMD and TMD elect to send their wastewater elsewhere. Should FLMD and TMD leave the facility, AWSD and DWSD would probably continue to operate it, he said.

Hodge outlines area of concern

Hodge summed up for the board a letter he had sent to Ann Nichols, FLMD general manager, and Jim McGrady, TMD general manager. DWSD is the facility operator, the letter points out, arguing when Nichols and McGrady contracted with Carollo Engineers Inc. they overstepped their authority. The letter objects to Nichols and McGrady requesting that the scenario where only DWSD would use the treatment facility be studied by Carollo. The letter points out that some of the tasks assigned by Nichols and McGrady to Carollo can be performed by current treatment facility staff.

The letter points out that DWSD’s legal counsel has found three issues with the agreement with Carollo: the creation of a multi-fiscal year financial obligation without the voter approval required by the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR); the requirement that the treatment facility indemnify Carollo; and the fact that McGrady signed the agreement with Carollo as “Owner” when DWSD is the plant operator.

The letter concludes by saying that DWSD does not object to FLMD and TMD doing their due diligence to decide whether they will continue to use the facility and by asking them to adhere to the terms of their agreement with DWSD.

Following Hodge’s update, Vanderschuere pointed out that FLMD and TMD had not responded to the letter.

Procurement policy adopted

Hodge explained that minor changes to the procurement and contracting policy were required by the fact that DWSD is receiving American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding to remediate radium. ARPA funding requires more stringent bidding procedures, Hodge said.

The board decided that purchases and professional services from pre-approved vendor lists totaling less than $50,000 would be subject to a simpler bidding requirement. Vanderschuere said he wanted to preserve the ability to act quickly in emergency situations.

Highlights of operational reports

  • Well 2D is producing 166 gallons per second.
  • Variable Flow Devices (VFDs) are being added to several wells. VFDs help keep the flow into the filters at the processing plants at a steady level, which increases the filter’s efficiency.
  • DWSD staff is focusing on cybersecurity.
  • DWSD will add processing using hydrous manganese oxide to address radium instead of relying solely on the treatment plant filters.
  • Roger Sams, an engineer with GMS Inc., said his company was starting to investigate direct potable reuse as a technology DWSD might use in the future. Direct potable reuse refers to designs where treated effluent is immediately returned to the distribution system without being discharged to a stream. The standards for direct potable reuse have not been clearly established by the state.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for May 18 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, March 16 – Board seeks long-term contract with CSU

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its March meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board met with representatives of Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to discuss CSU’s proposed long-term contract with DWSD. The board returned to the issue of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF), which it shares with Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD). The board also heard operational reports.

Board discusses long-term contract with CSU

DSWD, which has operated under a short-term contract that has had a series of extensions, is seeking to sign a long-term contract with CSU on the conveyance, treatment, and delivery of its renewable water through CSU’s Southern Delivery System (SDS).

Jenny Bishop, project engineer for CSU, attended the DWSD meeting to discuss CSU’s proposal, which is a short-term contract that can convert into a long-term contract. The reason for this approach is that CSU’s contract for SDS has a clause that states that it cannot be used for regional entities that are not part of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District (SECWCD) without either joining SECWCD or getting a written waiver from SECWCD and the Bureau of Reclamation (BR).

Bishop explained that both SECWCD and BR had separately indicated verbally that they were OK with the waiver, but that CSU had been unable to get them in the same room at the same time to sign a written document that CSU has drafted. The workaround is to sign a contract now that will serve as a short-term contract extendable for three years and convert it to a 25-year long-term contract once the waiver is signed. Twenty-five years, she noted, is the longest contract CSU can offer according to the city’s charter.

The board went into an executive session to further discuss the CSU proposal and came out with edits to the proposed contract and directions to their lawyer to work with CSU’s lawyer to pursue the waiver required for a long-term contract. General Manager Jeff Hodge will be available to attend any meetings that CSU might set up with SECWCD and BR to help finalize this waiver.

Debate over UMCRWWTF study continues

Hodge updated the board on recent developments in the sometimes-contentious discussion between DWSD, FLMD, and TMD over how to proceed with and who will pay for an engineering study of the UMCRWWTF performed by Carollo Engineers Inc. (CEI).

The study was commissioned by FLMD and TMD as part of their consideration of a proposal from CSU to take over the wastewater treatment currently done by the UMCRWWTF, which would make that facility unnecessary. FLMD and TMD viewed CSU’s proposal to take over wastewater treatment positively, but DWSD decided against participating, arguing that the cost and benefit of the project were not clear.

DWSD argued that because the study was initiated without its input, it would not pay any share of its costs.

Hodge summarized a letter sent from DWSD to FLMD and TMD that stated:

  • DWSD accepts FLMD and TMD’s offer to pay for work done by CEI in 2022.
  • DWSD will pay its share of CEI’s charges for work done in 2023 if DWSD can assess and update the scope of work.
  • DWSD sees the UMCRWWTF as a valuable asset, wishes to continue to use it, values its potential to allow water re-use, and appreciates its contribution to local control.

The letter also requested that DWSD receive all data provided by CEI to FLMD and TMD, asked to have its preference for continued use of the facility reflected in the contract with CEI, and expressed its willingness to discuss how one partner might leave the Intergovernmental Agreement without shutting down the facility. DWSD believes shutting down the facility would not be in the best interests of its residents.

Board President Wayne Vanderschuere said he felt the data did not support CEI’s overly negative assessment of the UMCRWWTF and the study had not been peer reviewed. He added he had reached out to FLMD and TMD but had not received a response to date.

Highlights of operational reports

In his manager’s report, Hodge mentioned the following operational details:

  • The upcoming election has been canceled since there are three candidates for the three open seats on the board.
  • The construction of the raw water line for recently drilled Well 16A was scheduled to begin the week of March 13.
  • Staff is working on a protocol to remove phosphorus from the UMCRWWTF effluent that will result in credits that will delay the need for upgrades.
  • DWSD has changed to a new lab for water quality testing due to concerns with the accuracy of results from the previous lab.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for April 20 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles

Donala Water and Sanitation District, Feb. 16 – Donala to lease water to Martin Marietta

By James Howald and Jackie Burhans

At its February meeting, the Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) considered a request from Martin Marietta to lease water from the district. A construction contract for a pipeline from Well 16A was approved and the board heard operational reports. The meeting ended with an executive session.

Martin Marietta water lease

General Manager Jeff Hodge said Martin Marietta had requested to lease DWSD’s treated effluent water and was willing to pay a higher price for that water than the district was currently getting. Martin Marietta was proposing a one-year lease, Hodge said.

The lease document specifies the water to be leased is treated reusable effluent discharged from the Upper Monument Creek Regional Waste Water Treatment Facility (UMCRWWTF). Martin Marietta needs the water to increase its discharge to the Arkansas River to offset losses from evaporation and use by its gravel mining operation.

The lease obligates DWSD to provide 135 acre-feet of water per year, and Martin Marietta to pay $300 per acre-foot. DWSD is not required to provide the water if its prior obligations are not met for any reason.

The board voted unanimously to approve the lease agreement.

Pipeline contract awarded

Hodge asked the board to consider awarding a construction contract to K. R. Swerdfeger Construction LLC for a raw water pipeline to connect newly drilled Well 16A to the R. Hull Water Treatment Plant. The engineering report for the project says the contractor will use directional boring under Bermuda Dunes Way, which will minimize impact on traffic. Some open excavation on DWSD’s property on Pauma Valley Drive will be required. The bid from K. R. Swerdfeger was for $292,302.

Hodge mentioned that only one bid for the contract was received. He said other potential bidders lacked the staff to do the work.

Highlights of operational reports

  • Hodge told the board he and one other staff member had received training that qualified them to enter the arsenic removal building.
  • Chief Waste Plant Operator Mike Boyett told the board that the UMCRWWTF had a high mercury result in its last round of testing.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss contract negotiations with Colorado Springs Utilities concerning a long-term water contract and to receive legal advice on questions about the UMCRWWTF contract.

No action was taken following the executive session.

**********

The next meeting is scheduled for March 16 at 1:30 p.m. Generally, board meetings are held the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. and include online access; call (719) 488-3603 or access www.donalawater.org to receive up-to-date meeting information. The district office is located at 15850 Holbein Drive, Colorado Springs.

James Howald can be reached at jameshowald@ocn.me. Jackie Burhans can be reached at jackieburhans@ocn.me.

Other Donala Water and Sanitation District articles