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OCN > 2405 > Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 8 – Board discusses bills to regulate wetlands

Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, April 8 – Board discusses bills to regulate wetlands

By James Howald

At its April meeting, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board heard operational reports from District Manager Jessie Shaffer, Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine, District Engineer Ariel Hacker and board Treasurer Roy Martinez.

Manager’s report

Shaffer opened his report with an update on HB24-1379, a bill before the Colorado Legislature that would create a state-run permit system to regulate when developers can dig up and fill in streams and wetlands. A second bill addressing the same issue, SB24-127, has been introduced, Shaffer said; the difference between the two bills is that the first would place regulatory authority under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the second under the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. The two bills would either be reconciled or one of them would be dropped, Shaffer said.

In response to a question from Director Tom Roddam, Shaffer explained that both bills were responses to the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that removed many wetlands from the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers. The state of Colorado felt it needed to step in to protect Colorado’s wetlands and that is the goal of the two bills, Shaffer said. The outcome could affect WWSD by possibly complicating permitting processes and increasing the district’s costs.

Shaffer summarized the progress of the Loop project. The Loop authority is drafting an agreement that will define the benefits and the responsibilities of all participating districts and will specify the annual and monthly maximum water deliveries each district will receive once the project is complete. Another agreement under development will define operational details such as how excess water supply will be handled. Both agreements will be reviewed by the boards of participating districts, their lawyers and water attorneys, he said. If districts sign the agreements, they are committed to the project. Shaffer said he expected the districts to make their final decisions in the next two to four months.

Water operations report

LaFontaine told the board that water loss for March had declined. The 12-month running average for water loss was 10%, he said. The EPA considers a 16% loss normal and the average for new water systems in Colorado is 8%. WWSD’s system runs at higher pressure than many others, he said, and this leads to a higher amount of seepage. He said he was coordinating the reading of meters to get a more accurate measure of water loss.

LaFontaine noted two service failures in March and two sewer backups. One of the two backups was caused by a clog of flushable wipes and the other was caused by a telecom company boring through a sewer main. The district is investigating which telecom company did the drilling.

Engineer’s report

Hacker said the second phase of the project to widen Highway 105, Phase B, was months out from getting the necessary easements. She said she was requesting quotes for the sewer crossing at Lake Woodmoor Drive. Bids for the site piping for the Dawson aquifer well at the Central Water Treatment Facility (CWTF) adjacent to Lewis Palmer Middle School would go out May 1, she said. The pumphouse for Well 22, which is on County Line Road just east of I-25, is nearing completion and plans for the erosion and stormwater quality control at the well site have been submitted to the county.

Planning is underway for an additional tank at the South Tank site, Hacker said. Shaffer said the new tank would be concrete rather than steel because concrete is cheaper over the long term since it does not have to be recoated. He said once the tank design was done it would be presented to the board.

Hacker said she expected construction on the Waterside development to begin by summer. The development will include four single-family residences and 40 duplexes and is located at Woodmoor Drive and Deer Creek Road just north of The Barn.

Water sales down from previous year

In his financial report, Martinez noted income and expenses were on track. He pointed out that water sales for March were down from the previous year by about 3 million gallons.

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The next meeting is scheduled for May 20 at 1 p.m. Meetings are usually held on the second Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the district office at 1845 Woodmoor Drive; please see www.woodmoorwater.com or call 719-488-2525 to verify meeting times and locations.

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

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