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PAWSD, a Year in Review |
Sheila Berger | 1/8/09
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 2008 was the busiest year for the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) in its 38 year history in terms of planning, implementing new policies and completing capital improvements. The Board of Directors and staff of PAWSD wish to thank their customers for the input that drove several of the District’s key accomplishments in 2008, and will continue to direct decisions and actions in 2009.
Winter 2008
The District acquires 660 acres of property for a future Dry Gulch Reservoir site.
The Board of Directors adopts a new fee schedule. The service charges are increased due to increases in the cost of operations and implementation of certain capital projects, but not due to the Dry Gulch Project which is separately funded.
Spring 2008
The District undergoes a Technical, Managerial and Financial Assessment in order to ascertain areas upon which it could improve as an organization. This State-funded exercise, conducted by Malcolm Pirnie, showed no financial weaknesses but highlighted areas of technical planning and increased staffing needed by the District.
Work commences on a number of capital improvement projects, including:
• Stevens Reservoir Enlargement
• Chris Mountain water and sewer main line extensions
• Design for the Hatcher Water Treatment Plant upgrade
• Lakewood water line replacement
PAWSD begins sump pump inspections of wastewater customers in order to insure clear water from drainages and crawl spaces is not being pumped into the municipal sewer system. This is costly to treat and decreases the life of the sewer system, expenses all wastewater customers ultimately bear.
Summer 2008
In August, the PAWSD Board adopts a resolution moving to an industry standard method of calculating Equivalent Units (EUs). This method uses a plumbing fixture count to dictate the meter size required by a customer, which in turn dictates that customer’s associated EUs. Because EUs are the basis of PAWSD fees, this method equalizes fees for homes and businesses, encourages the installation of water conserving fixtures, and lowers fees for many multi-family affordable housing and commercial projects.
The District begins implementing the Automated Meter Reading project, installing a radio transmitter/receiver on each of its 5200-plus meters. Among many benefits, this technology will allow the District to collect residential meter reads throughout the year rather than using an average winter use rate, and will for allow for more timely detection and correction of leaks.
PAWSD staff begins the upgrading and updating of its web site to include a plethora of information related to the Dry Gulch Project and other plans, policies and projects.
Fall 2008
The people have spoken! A log of public input on Dry Gulch taken over the course of the summer and early fall is published, accompanied by the Board’s response to each individual issue.
The Water Division Seven District Court decrees a total Dry Gulch water storage right of 25,300 Acre Feet, a planning horizon limited to fifty years, and a maximum San Juan River diversion of 150 cubic feet per second. Trout Unlimited appeals this decision back to the Supreme Court.
The Board authorizes the Dry Gulch project engineers to re-estimate the project cost in 2008 dollars and update growth and future water demand projections. This information will be used by a third party consultant to recalibrate the Capital Investment Fee and Water Resource Fee component. Due to the complexity of the multiple project components, it is anticipated that results of this complete project reanalysis will not be available for public comment until February 2009.
Several District plans are completed and approved by the State: the updated Water Conservation Plan (funded by a $25,000 grant), the Source Water Protection Plan and the Emergency Response Plan. Updating begins on the 2040 Capital Improvement Plan and 2020 Financial Plan, which are anticipated to be available for public comment in February 2009.
The Board receives a positive audit report of 2007 financial statements.
Several capital projects or project designs are completed, including:
• The Stevens Reservoir dam, despite adverse summer and early fall weather
• A water line upgrade (Phase 1) in the Lake Hatcher/Martinez Mountain Estates area
• Completion of sewer line video taping to ascertain areas of needed repairs
• Installation of a new wastewater lift station
• Design of a larger settling pond to reduce turbidity at the San Juan Water Treatment Plant intake on the San Juan River
• Pre-design of the Highlands Lagoon elimination project
PAWSD staff anticipate an equally industrious 2009, with planning already underway for several new projects. The public can most easily stay informed and submit comments or questions by visiting the PAWSD website, or by attending the monthly Board meetings, held the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm at the PAWSD offices. |
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