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South Metro questions new water authority
How many water authorities does Douglas County need?
An effort to create another water authority in Douglas County would duplicate efforts by South Metro Water Supply Authority, said John Hendrick, president of SMWSA and general manager for Centennial Water and Sanitation District.
Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand has proposed creating a water conservation authority that would encompass all 37 water suppliers in the county.
By Kiersten J. Mayer
How many water authorities does Douglas County need?
An effort to create another water authority in Douglas County would duplicate efforts by South Metro Water Supply Authority, said John Hendrick, president of SMWSA and general manager for Centennial Water and Sanitation District.
Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand has proposed creating a water conservation authority that would encompass all 37 water suppliers in the county.
SMWSA not only represents 80 percent to 90 percent of the county's population, its members have the ability to develop large water projects and have an established relationship with Denver Water, he said at a recent Douglas County Water Team meeting.
A Douglas County Water Conservation Authority would not only overlap some of SMSWA's efforts, but could confuse an already complicated water dilemma, Hendrick said.
The proposed Douglas County Rural Water Users Authority and the DCWCA would be welcome to be part of SMWSA, he said. Eight smaller water suppliers, represented by one SMWSA board member, could vote to include both in the group, thus giving them a voice.
"I'm encouraged the county has worked to consolidate the smaller providers, but we don't see the need for overlapping with an additional authority at this time," Hendrick said.
Denver Water made it clear in 2000 it is unwilling to deal with individual water suppliers, he said. "Denver Water made it clear they would only deal with one entity that had everyone's interest in mind, and we were forced to form the SMWSA."
While members of the SMWSA - including Centennial Water and Sanitation, Castle Rock, Parker Water and Sanitation District, East Cherry Creek Valley and eight smaller providers - are encouraged by the overall thrust Douglas County's board of commissioners is taking in trying to find water solutions, SMWSA should lead the way because it needs to be accountable to its paying customers, he said.
"We're reluctant to turn the keys to the car over to someone else, but we would not exclude any other participation by other groups," he said.
But a number of entities and water suppliers Denver Water is concerned about are not in the SMWSA, Boand said. Not only can the DCWCA and SMWSA co-exist, they are not mutually exclusive.
"The SMWSA will move forward, but I think Denver Water will be willing to deal not only with SMWSA, but also the DCWCA," he said.
And Boand sees SMWSA becoming one of the working elements of the DCWCA.
"They'd be fully functional on their own, but we wouldn't eliminate them from discussions of major projects," he said, adding that when the DCWCA is formed, all water suppliers in Douglas County are automatically members.
"They do not have the option of opting out of DCWCA, only out of the public improvement districts," he said.
Public improvement districts would be formed to advance water projects for their area.
SMWSA's eight smaller providers will be grouped with the other 25 small water suppliers in the county and elect a representative to be on the DCWCA board of directors, Boand said. SMWSA's three are large Douglas County water providers - Castle Rock, Parker Water and Sanitation and Centennial - will be represented on DCWCA's board of directors.
SMWSA's smaller members are Roxborough Park Metro District, Stonegate Village Metro District, Cottonwood Water and Sanitation District, the Pinery Water and Sanitation District, Inverness Water and Sanitation District, Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater, Meridian Metropolitan District and Castle Pines North Metropolitan District.
Dr. Ed Pokorney, Denver Water director of planning, said the reason Denver Water is dealing with one entity in Douglas County is simple - it's physically impossible to sit down with all water distributors. But it is more than willing to deal with more than one regional group.
From Denver Water's standpoint, it's easier dealing with one regional group, but the board of directors is not going to say it has to be one and not the other, he said.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand has proposed creating a water conservation authority that would encompass all 37 water suppliers in the county.
By Kiersten J. Mayer
How many water authorities does Douglas County need?
An effort to create another water authority in Douglas County would duplicate efforts by South Metro Water Supply Authority, said John Hendrick, president of SMWSA and general manager for Centennial Water and Sanitation District.
Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand has proposed creating a water conservation authority that would encompass all 37 water suppliers in the county.
SMWSA not only represents 80 percent to 90 percent of the county's population, its members have the ability to develop large water projects and have an established relationship with Denver Water, he said at a recent Douglas County Water Team meeting.
A Douglas County Water Conservation Authority would not only overlap some of SMSWA's efforts, but could confuse an already complicated water dilemma, Hendrick said.
The proposed Douglas County Rural Water Users Authority and the DCWCA would be welcome to be part of SMWSA, he said. Eight smaller water suppliers, represented by one SMWSA board member, could vote to include both in the group, thus giving them a voice.
"I'm encouraged the county has worked to consolidate the smaller providers, but we don't see the need for overlapping with an additional authority at this time," Hendrick said.
Denver Water made it clear in 2000 it is unwilling to deal with individual water suppliers, he said. "Denver Water made it clear they would only deal with one entity that had everyone's interest in mind, and we were forced to form the SMWSA."
While members of the SMWSA - including Centennial Water and Sanitation, Castle Rock, Parker Water and Sanitation District, East Cherry Creek Valley and eight smaller providers - are encouraged by the overall thrust Douglas County's board of commissioners is taking in trying to find water solutions, SMWSA should lead the way because it needs to be accountable to its paying customers, he said.
"We're reluctant to turn the keys to the car over to someone else, but we would not exclude any other participation by other groups," he said.
But a number of entities and water suppliers Denver Water is concerned about are not in the SMWSA, Boand said. Not only can the DCWCA and SMWSA co-exist, they are not mutually exclusive.
"The SMWSA will move forward, but I think Denver Water will be willing to deal not only with SMWSA, but also the DCWCA," he said.
And Boand sees SMWSA becoming one of the working elements of the DCWCA.
"They'd be fully functional on their own, but we wouldn't eliminate them from discussions of major projects," he said, adding that when the DCWCA is formed, all water suppliers in Douglas County are automatically members.
"They do not have the option of opting out of DCWCA, only out of the public improvement districts," he said.
Public improvement districts would be formed to advance water projects for their area.
SMWSA's eight smaller providers will be grouped with the other 25 small water suppliers in the county and elect a representative to be on the DCWCA board of directors, Boand said. SMWSA's three are large Douglas County water providers - Castle Rock, Parker Water and Sanitation and Centennial - will be represented on DCWCA's board of directors.
SMWSA's smaller members are Roxborough Park Metro District, Stonegate Village Metro District, Cottonwood Water and Sanitation District, the Pinery Water and Sanitation District, Inverness Water and Sanitation District, Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater, Meridian Metropolitan District and Castle Pines North Metropolitan District.
Dr. Ed Pokorney, Denver Water director of planning, said the reason Denver Water is dealing with one entity in Douglas County is simple - it's physically impossible to sit down with all water distributors. But it is more than willing to deal with more than one regional group.
From Denver Water's standpoint, it's easier dealing with one regional group, but the board of directors is not going to say it has to be one and not the other, he said.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
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