Dry Gulch Ranch

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.

By Carl Young

Communication with PAWSD can be difficult. Unlike the San Juan Water Conservancy (SJWC), Town of Pagosa Springs and the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners, ratepayers have no public way to directly contact PAWSD Board members. All communication runs through PAWSD staff.

Unfortunately, this follows the PAWSD pattern of providing the minimum legal compliance for public communication.

I would encourage concerned ratepayers to ask the PAWSD Board to follow the examples of SJWC, the town and county and give ratepayers a way to directly contact board members.