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Rural interests want say in water decisions
An elephant in regional water solutions was spotlighted again at a Southeast Business Partnership water meeting last week.
By By:Kiersten J. Mayer
An elephant in regional water solutions was spotlighted again at a Southeast Business Partnership water meeting last week.
Ron Redd, Castle Rock utilities director, asked how much say rural water users want if water suppliers and county government created a water authority.
"It seems rural interests are a big deal to the counties," he said.
Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand and county attorney Lance Ingalls introduced a draft document for a Douglas-Arapahoe Water Conservation Authority in mid-July.
"They want to be involved," Redd said of rural users. "The question is how do we do that to the satisfaction of the counties and the water providers?"
Rural users and smaller water suppliers want a seat at the table of the proposed Douglas-Arapahoe Water Conservation Authority, Boand said. A draft of that document was given to water suppliers and municipalities for their input earlier this month.
Boand said he believes water suppliers are putting too much emphasis on the rural aspect of a regional water solution.
"It's not so much rural as it is a matter of a long-term, sustainable water supply," he said.
John Hendricks, general manager of Centennial Water and Sanitation, said large water suppliers are considering using intergovernmental agreements to help create a regional water solution for Douglas and Arapahoe counties.
The players in the South Metro Water Supply Authority, which attempted to get House Bill 1298 passed this past legislative session, is proposing the use of intergovernmental agreements as a means of providing rural water solutions in lieu of legislation. It's a policy that could work for rural users and smaller water suppliers, Hendricks said.
Redd said Castle Rock officials did not see the 20 percent of rural water users and smaller water suppliers as having any kind of vote in the authority, but would rather serve in an advisory capacity.
"If that's going to be a deal killer for the counties, we would like to know," he said.
The idea was not to eliminate the voice of rural water users and smaller suppliers; rather, as members of advisory committees they could participate in water projects, Hendricks said.
Boand suggested the SMWSA engage smaller water users in that discussion. His concept of a conservation authority could be formed by vote of county commissioners and would provide a seat for rural water users and small water users.
Arapahoe County Commissioner Bernie Zimmer said when rural water users and smaller water suppliers have the money, they can have a seat at the table.
"Rural providers have got to, if nothing else, band together and bring money to the table," he said. "The real crux of intergovernmental agreements is establishing the money."
Zimmer also agreed that those users should have seats on advisory committees within the conservation district authority.
IGAs are optional and water suppliers, large or small, can choose whether or not to participate in water projects, said Ray Waterman, Castle Rock mayor.
"They can opt into projects of larger water suppliers," he said.
It would be easier to talk to a united rural water association that would speak with one voice for those users, said Melanie Worley, Douglas County commissioner.
"They have to come together to achieve the same kind of focus as the group who worked on legislation last year," she said.
Zimmer said it might be prudent for Douglas and Arapahoe counties to help facilitate rural water users' participation. Water suppliers and municipalities who enter into IGAs will also avoid mitigation language - what Zimmer deemed "the gorilla in the night."
Water suppliers have to mitigate when they build new water projects or buy water rights, he said; however, there is no mitigation language, something that brought down HB 1298 in the last legislative session.
"So, huge strides can be made in what we want to accomplish," he said.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
Ron Redd, Castle Rock utilities director, asked how much say rural water users want if water suppliers and county government created a water authority.
"It seems rural interests are a big deal to the counties," he said.
Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand and county attorney Lance Ingalls introduced a draft document for a Douglas-Arapahoe Water Conservation Authority in mid-July.
"They want to be involved," Redd said of rural users. "The question is how do we do that to the satisfaction of the counties and the water providers?"
Rural users and smaller water suppliers want a seat at the table of the proposed Douglas-Arapahoe Water Conservation Authority, Boand said. A draft of that document was given to water suppliers and municipalities for their input earlier this month.
Boand said he believes water suppliers are putting too much emphasis on the rural aspect of a regional water solution.
"It's not so much rural as it is a matter of a long-term, sustainable water supply," he said.
John Hendricks, general manager of Centennial Water and Sanitation, said large water suppliers are considering using intergovernmental agreements to help create a regional water solution for Douglas and Arapahoe counties.
The players in the South Metro Water Supply Authority, which attempted to get House Bill 1298 passed this past legislative session, is proposing the use of intergovernmental agreements as a means of providing rural water solutions in lieu of legislation. It's a policy that could work for rural users and smaller water suppliers, Hendricks said.
Redd said Castle Rock officials did not see the 20 percent of rural water users and smaller water suppliers as having any kind of vote in the authority, but would rather serve in an advisory capacity.
"If that's going to be a deal killer for the counties, we would like to know," he said.
The idea was not to eliminate the voice of rural water users and smaller suppliers; rather, as members of advisory committees they could participate in water projects, Hendricks said.
Boand suggested the SMWSA engage smaller water users in that discussion. His concept of a conservation authority could be formed by vote of county commissioners and would provide a seat for rural water users and small water users.
Arapahoe County Commissioner Bernie Zimmer said when rural water users and smaller water suppliers have the money, they can have a seat at the table.
"Rural providers have got to, if nothing else, band together and bring money to the table," he said. "The real crux of intergovernmental agreements is establishing the money."
Zimmer also agreed that those users should have seats on advisory committees within the conservation district authority.
IGAs are optional and water suppliers, large or small, can choose whether or not to participate in water projects, said Ray Waterman, Castle Rock mayor.
"They can opt into projects of larger water suppliers," he said.
It would be easier to talk to a united rural water association that would speak with one voice for those users, said Melanie Worley, Douglas County commissioner.
"They have to come together to achieve the same kind of focus as the group who worked on legislation last year," she said.
Zimmer said it might be prudent for Douglas and Arapahoe counties to help facilitate rural water users' participation. Water suppliers and municipalities who enter into IGAs will also avoid mitigation language - what Zimmer deemed "the gorilla in the night."
Water suppliers have to mitigate when they build new water projects or buy water rights, he said; however, there is no mitigation language, something that brought down HB 1298 in the last legislative session.
"So, huge strides can be made in what we want to accomplish," he said.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
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