As rain washed over the La Plata County on Thursday, bringing fears of flooding, county officials wrestled with how to address long-term water needs.
“We’ve been fighting for years and years over the wrong things and not paying enough attention to water. ... It’s going to be the conversation for the future,” said Commissioner Brad Blake.
As many wells, especially in the western portion of the county are going dry, the county residents will need expanded water delivery systems, water docks and a backup water source, according to the county’s Water Advisory Commission.
These findings were part of the presentation the water advisers gave to the La Plata County Commissioners after more than a year of analysis on specific water questions.
The recommendations will help the county Planning Commission shape the infrastructure portion of the Comprehensive Plan currently being drafted.
While the county has enough water to supply residents, aging and in some cases small unregulated water systems pose a major challenge.
“All this infrastructure that was put in 35 years ago is failing now,” said Robert Ludwig, a member of the commission.
In cases where small water systems set up to serve individual subdivisions need help, larger water systems do not have the resources to absorb them.
For example, the town of Bayfield may refuse requests to provide water to smaller systems because the systems are substandard and the town cannot afford to upgrade the infrastructure required to provide service, according to the commission’s recommendations.
The commission would like to see uniform standards put in place for all water systems, and greater connectivity between systems is encouraged, the recommendations said.
To fund needed infrastructure projects, the commission suggested encouraging special-taxing districts to be formed because it allows groups of residents to take on responsibility for their own infrastructure.
Ensuring developments have a sufficient water supply also is a priority. While developments may have legal rights to water, the commission asked the county to require all subdivisions that do not have an outside provider to ensure the potential water supply can support their homes over time.
The group also recommended more stringent standards for water-quality testing for small subdivisions that aren’t currently subject to state health department standards. The recommended tests would check for coliform bacteria, such as E. Coli and nitrates, chemicals found in fertilizers that can cause severe health problems in children.
“The people using this water ought to know what’s in it,” said Buck Skillen, chairman of the commission.
This data should be mailed to residents and maintained by the county and the San Juan Health Department, the recommendations state.
When residents face a dry or contaminated well, sometimes their only option is to haul water.
The commission does not see this as a long-term solution to the county’s infrastructure woes and does not want to see the county support water docks financially. But the commission acknowledged they are vital for some residents, and it would be appropriate to help water docks with in-kind contributions and staff support.
“We might discourage water docks, but they are going to be here for a little while,” said Lee Campbell, a commission member.
The commission also supported buying water from the Animas-La Plata Project because it could be used in an emergency.
For example, if a residential water provider was prohibited from using the water supply because states downstream had a higher priority, the county could step in. The county might be able to send water downstream to fulfill a call on the river, and this could allow the residential water provider to continue using the water.
This could be helpful, especially if the entire Colorado River compact area faced a drought.
“The question is: Do you want to be safe or sorry?” said Tom Brossia, a commission member.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
