Commissioners Propose “Shower with a Friend Day” for Conservation
Trevor Phipps
Despite recent rainstorms that have added a little moisture to the region, severe drought conditions persist across the state and throughout Teller County
In fact, Teller’s water levels have plunged to such a low level that officials have initiated an Emergency Water Support Plan. This unprecedented action, which includes many conservation measures, went into effect on July 14.
According to county officials, parts of the county including Florissant and the Arabian Acres subdivision east of Florissant are running out of water. People in other parts of the county have also reported low water issues.
“There are already people in Teller County whose individual wells are starting to run dry,” Teller County Commissioner Chairman Erik Stone said at a recent county commission meeting. “We see people posting on social media that their pumps stopped working or this or that. Well, it’s not your pump, it’s your well. But it’s not just that, there are some subdivisions with their own individual water delivery systems (water districts) that are now starting to have issues.”
Stone said that some water districts are having problems related to the water table itself. Other subdivisions are having unrelated issues, but their problems are compounded by the severe drought conditions taking place across Colorado.
The ultra-dry conditions have continued to cause more problems with water, forcing emergency action. “The aquifer is about 40 to 50 feet low,” Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams said. “So, we do have some residents running out of water. We have some places in Florissant that it is getting dangerously low.”
And logistically, the crisis could cause extra hurdles.
Williams said that one problem is that the county can’t move any water around without first getting permission. In order to access water supplies to augment the low levels in Florissant. And to move water from the South Platte River Basin to the Arkansas River Basin, the county must get cooperation from the state water engineers.
State Officials Ready to Help
Williams said that a key part of the county’s emergency support plan was reaching out to state officials to help replace water in the areas where a low supply exists. Williams, along with other county officials, have been working closely with their counterparts from the state to do what they can to help with the county’s low water levels.
Williams said that he talked with Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently about the situation. Williams said that he has received full cooperation from the governor’s office and state water officials.
Stone said that the state has also done what they can to assist people that are dealing with water well failures. “There is a fast-track system through the state where they can potentially within 24 hours get you a new well permit,” Stone said. “It doesn’t mean you can get somebody to drill a well, but they are standing ready to be able to help you should you need action and need a new well permit. You can apply for it and receive a very expedited response to be able to help you fix that.”
As more parts of the county continue to suffer from low water issues, the county is working on more sources of H2O to help. But while they look for ways to replace the dwindling resource, the county commissioners remind everyone that “we’re all in this together.”
Commissioners Plead with Residents to Conserve Water
In their most recent regular meeting, Stone said that it takes the entire community to help with low water levels in some areas. Even though some residents may have individual wells, the county’s entire network of water resources is connected to the water table in some way.
“So, we’re asking for people to conserve as much as possible, non-necessary water usage, just curtail it,” Stone said. “If you have been kind of fudging a little bit on your well permit, like you have been washing your car even though you are not supposed to have outside use on your domestic well, you need to make sure you stop doing that. I made a comment about ‘Shower with a Fiend Day,’ we need to conserve water You don’t know when you are going to get to the bottom of the water supply until you get to the bottom of the water supply. Once you’re there, it’s tough to get out of.”
Stone said that if a resident did have a well that ran completely dry, it would be difficult to get a new well drilled promptly. Many people have had to wait 18 months to two years before they can find a company who is available to come out and drill a well.
As a result, Stone said that people need to conserve water for their own self interests. He said that even people who live inside municipalities should also try to conserve water.
County officials have been looking for help from cities within the county, such as Woodland Park and Cripple Creek, which may be able to provide water to areas that are experiencing dangerous low levels. In a previous emergency meeting, Stone described this possibility as a “saving grace” for the county.
And even though rain has been pouring down occasionally with the beginning of the monsoon season, the state is currently so dry that it will take a long time for the drought conditions to improve. Officials are hoping for significant moisture during the historic “Super El Nino” system, which experts say is headed to the continent this winter.
