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County water in decline

Infrastructure needed in region
La Plata County may have enough water to supply both municipal and industrial needs from reservoirs like Lake Nighthorse. But there is not enough infrastructure to take the water to businesses and residents who need it.

Groundwater is on the decline in certain parts of La Plata County, and more infrastructure is needed to bring water to rural residents and business before they run out, according to the La Plata County Water Advisory Commission’s draft policy bulletins.

For the past year, the commission has worked to assess the county’s water supply and infrastructure needs.

“Water is an obvious critical need that can be reviewed on a piecemeal basis, but should be revisited on a more comprehensive scale with some regularity,” said Sheryl Rogers, the county attorney.

Water commissioners are now nearing the end of their work, and they have drafted responses to five water-related questions to help ensure residents continue to have access to safe, reliable drinking water, Rogers said.

Here is a summary of the questions and draft answers, based on county documents:

Q: Should La Plata County be concerned about lack of water supplies, lack of water infrastructure or inefficiencies in the current water systems?

A: La Plata County may have enough water for residential and industrial use, but it should be regularly re-evaluated every five years.

County residents need more infrastructure to bring water to homes and businesses.

In addition, the county has an abundance of small, unregulated water systems. The systems’ operators often do not have the knowledge necessary to ensure that their water supplies are safe for consumers to use.

“In the commission’s opinion, these unregulated systems and wells pose significant health risks to La Plata County residents – both because some residents lack access to a clean, reliable source of water while others are at risk of running out of water,” the bulletin states.

Water levels have been declining on the west side of the county, and are no longer functional, said Rob Genualdi Division 7 engineer for the Colorado Division of Water Resources.

But the division does not keep data about how many wells have gone dry or been contaminated.

The commission recommended adopting construction standards applicable to all new or modified domestic water systems to prevent more unregulated systems from being built.

More small taxing districts could also help fund infrastructure for subdivisions.

Q: Should La Plata County code require the same proof of water standards for development as the state or more stringent ones?

A: The county should require more stringent proof of water for proposed subdivisions and commercial projects. This will likely translate into new laws that are less discretionary, said Adam Smith, assistant county attorney.

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 their water supply can support the homes

In addition, a water-conservation plan should be submitted with every subdivision application.

These plans should provide homeowners with strategies and incentives for reducing water use.

The commission found residential requirements for water standards need to be clarified because current law does not obviously distinguish between commercial and residential requirements, Smith said.

Q: Should La Plata County operate water docks? If so, where should those water docks be located?

A: Water hauling and water docks are not viable, long-term solutions. Both should be discouraged before they are approved by the county.

Q: If La Plata County purchases water from the Animas-La Plata Project, how should the water be used?

A: Any water the county acquires should 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.

Q: Will a countywide groundwater hydrological study tell the community anything we do not already know, and be the best use of La Plata County’s limited fiscal resources?

A: A hydrological study would not likely reveal anything new about quality or quantity of groundwater. The county government already is aware that population growth cannot be supported by wells. Officials also know where growth cannot be supported by groundwater because residents in those areas are already hauling water.

The county likely would be better served by compiling data already available through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, water and sanitation districts and the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission.

mshinn@durangoherald.com

Public hearing

La Plata County will hold a public hearing to take comments on these recommendations at 1 p.m. Thursday in the La Plata County Road and Bridge Conference Room, 1365 S. Camino del Rio.



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