by Elizabeth Wood West

Douglas County is approximately 842 square miles, with a population estimated to reach 280,000 by 2010. The County’s rural area is around 725 square miles. Almost 30,000 people, or nearly 12 percent of Douglas County’s total population, are considered rural water users and are served by 8,000 ground water wells.

Until recently, these water users had no unified voice, representation or authority to advocate concerns about the future of their water supply. The establishment of the Rural Water Authority of Douglas County (RWA), as part of the Third Annual Douglas County Water Summit, gave rural water users that much needed voice and seat at the water table.

Who are Rural Water Users?

These are people who may be part of a non-urban or rural residential subdivision with lots ranging in size from less than five acres up to thirty-five acres; or they may own several hundred or even thousands of acres. Their property may be adjacent to large urban developments.

For example, individual residents of communities like Oak Hills, Surrey Ridge, and Happy Canyon have their own wells and would be considered rural water users. Beverly Hills residents have their water supplied by the Beverly Hills Mutual Water Company, which has two deep wells and serves approximately one hundred water taps. Small water system providers like this are also considered rural water users.

Where do rural water users get their water?

Like the large municipalities and metro districts in the county, rural water users get water from the same source – the Denver Basin. The Denver Basin is made up of several aquifers, including the Upper and Lower Dawson, the Denver, the Arapahoe, and the Laramie-Fox Hills.

An aquifer is an underground water-bearing layer of permeable rock, sand, or gravel. Many large water providers are using the Denver Basin aquifers and demand is increasing. This is raising concerns about the long-term impacts on rural water users’ wells from these high production municipal wells.

Grandview Estates Rural Water Conservation District, as the initial signatory, and the Board of Douglas County Commissioners signed an agreement last October, establishing the RWA.

“The establishment of this Authority gives a collective voice to those who could not, prior to the Authority establishment, be meaningfully represented on the unique issues of rural water users,” said Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand, who is currently serving on the RWA’s Board.

The RWA Board structure consists of five district directors, three small water system providers, and one County Commissioner. Its mission is to protect and promote a safe, reliable, economically viable, and sustainable water supply for rural and non-urban water users in Douglas County.

The RWA’s service area is all unincorporated Douglas County, excluding land within the boundaries of a special district that provides water service that is not a participant of the RWA. Participants include all individual well owners who have not opted out of the RWA, and small water service providers (five hundred water taps or fewer) that have agreed to be participants.

By participating in the RWA, rural water users will have representation in water decisions and one voice for rural water interests. Other benefits include education, resources for well testing and maintenance services, credible and unbiased information on current water issues, and technical support and advice.

For more information about the Rural Water Authority, to review the RWA district map, or read the calendar for future meetings and agendas, please visit www.dcruralwaterusers.org.