Affordable Housing

Water Loss, Rate Inequity, and Leadership Gaps

Current State of Affairs

• District 1 (Downtown): Pays minimal sewer rates ($3.20/month, according to a board member) The number isn’t published, but back of the envelope arithmetic indicats the number is around $17.
• District 2 (Uptown): Treats sewage for both districts and individual ratepayers are charged $47/month for sewer treatment for both districts
• Current Projects: $44M Snowball water treatment plant (incomplete), sewer plant upgrades ($12M estimated)
• Water Sources: Water from Stevens can be moved to the main PAWSD water source, Hatcher Lake, but only by sending water downhill through the lake system and then pumping it uphill to Hatcher
• Major Issue: 40% water loss through deteriorating distribution system
• The Running Iron Ranch proposed reservoir site. PAWSD is suing the agency responsible for the reservoir, delaying revenue-generating proposals such as installing a solar-powered LPEA substation.

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Affordable Housing Project Torpedoed

Updated 2026-01-27 By a narrow 3-2 vote, the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) board on 2025-09-11 rejected a request to waive water and sewer fees for the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation (CDC), jeopardizing a multi-agency effort to build affordable workforce housing in Archuleta County.

Without this waiver, the project cannot move forward. “Waiving the capital investment fees is not just about cost savings,” said Emily Lashbrooke, CDC Director. “It is essential to:

Funding Continuation to be Discussed at a Special Meeting on Monday

The monthly affordable housing surcharge is a hot-button issue for conservatives who don’t like the idea of subsidizing housing for police, firefighters, teachers, service workers, and others.

Archuleta County is an expensive place to live with the average home price of $580,000 and monthly rents at $2,168 (per Zillow). Even with help from the county, private donations, non-profits, and PAWSD, the units built by Habitat for Humanity still cost more than $300,000.