Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Feb. 10 – Pipeline maintenance contract awarded

Inliner Solutions gets contract
Real estate closing authorized
Manager’s report
Operational report
Engineering report
Executive session

By James Howald

The Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board awarded an annual construction contract for pipeline maintenance and voted to authorize the closing of the purchase of three lots from Lake Woodmoor Development LLC. The board heard operational reports. The meeting ended with an executive session.

Inliner Solutions gets contract

District Engineer Cydney Saelens told the board that she had received bids from four companies to maintain the district’s pipelines. WWSD proposed a work order contract without a guaranteed number of linear feet to be repaired over the course of the year. Saelens explained there were two methods of pipeline repair: resin impregnated cured-in-place pipe and folded and formed PVC liner. The first method was the least expensive, she said, costing about $55.50 per linear foot. The low bid was from Inliner Solutions.

Saelens said the district had not worked with Inliner Solutions, but the company provided three references, including Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), and feedback was positive.

The board voted unanimously to draft a contract with Inliner Solutions and authorized board President Brian Bush to sign it.

Real estate closing authorized

District Manager Jessie Shaffer presented a resolution authorizing the closing of a purchase of three lots on the east side of Lake Woodmoor. The district offered the owner of the lots a discount on the purchase of supplemental water for their development of residences on their property at the intersection of Woodmoor Drive and Deer Creek Road in exchange for the lots. Shaffer said the sale was scheduled to close on Feb. 20 at Land Title Guarantee.

Bush pointed out that the purchase was a good deal for the district because it guaranteed the lots would never be developed, ensuring that no one would build next to the lake.

The board voted in favor of the resolution.

Manager’s report

Shaffer told the board a bill had been proposed in the state Legislature that would allow unlimited harvesting of rainwater in barrels. He said unlimited harvesting could impact the stream system and motivate developers to use detention ponds and pump back systems for irrigation.

Shaffer mentioned an indirect potable reuse study in which CSU, Donala Water and Sanitation District, the Town of Monument, and WWSD are taking part. The study will look at the Chilcott Ditch, in which WWSD is the largest stakeholder. The study will assess the feasibility of diverting water from Fountain Creek, conveying it through the Chilcott Ditch to either the Calhan Reservoir or the Williams Creek Reservoir, and then treating it and returning it to customers for reuse. Shaffer compared the plan to the Loop, but said the timeline was 15 years out. He speculated that CSU might be motivated to demonstrate its good stewardship of existing water supplies before shopping for more water rights.

In his update on the Loop, Shaffer said that John Kuosman had left Merrick and Co., and Mark Valentine would be the Loop’s contact at Merrick.

Operational report

Operations Superintendent Dan LaFontaine reported an unusually high water loss for the month due to the timing of meter readings that resulted in a 35-day period.

He said two final rounds of PFAS and lithium testing would be done in 2025. PFAS and lithium levels have been low to date, he said.

LaFontaine said a leak in the system had been detected using a borrowed leak correlator made by Fluid Conservation Systems that could be a useful tool for the district to use to reduce water loss.

Engineering report

Saelens gave a status report on several projects.

She said the bids to upgrade the main lift station were so high that she was investigating rerouting the sewer to avoid the expense of improving the lift station. The Well 22 transmission line project needs to have revegetation work completed; that will be delayed until spring. The pipeline is operational, she said. Saddle replacements are ongoing.

Executive session

The meeting ended with an executive session to determine negotiating positions and to confer with legal counsel on potential agreements with the Loop, Walden Water and Sanitation District, Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District, and Woodmoor Improvement Association.

No actions were taken following the executive session.

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The next meeting is on March 10 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.