The Challenge of a Reliable Water Supply
There can be no debate on the central truth facing the community served by the Parker Water and Sanitation District: We must increase our supply of water to ensure a reliable resource for both present and future generations. Not doing so creates a grave threat to us, our children and grandchildren.
For this reason, discussions about rate increases represent much more than merely a review of operating budget line items and spending practices. Far more important is the commitment and the ability to secure more water for the long term through investment in capital improvement projects. How the district manages its short term operational needs will have a significant impact on its ability to obtain long-term capital financing.
Some might say that stopping growth would curtail the need for new sources of water. Even if that is true, such a tactic would harm the regional economy and reduce existing property values, among other unintended consequences. Others might surmise that raising water rates significantly would result in people using less water. That may be true, but the tactic would fall far short of ensuring the supplies we need and would add another cost burden to our customers.
A New Water Reality
Here is the reality: Our current water use is reducing our groundwater aquifers by as much as 30 feet per year. Every well in the district records this reduced production. We are essentially mining a non-renewable resource. Once we have pumped the water to the surface, it will not be recaptured and returned to the aquifer. The Rueter-Hess Reservoir is part of the solution to this problem. But with groundwater depletion, PWSD management is working hard to find new sources to meet ongoing demand.
The amount of renewable water supply from Cherry Creek is limited to about 5,000 acre feet annually. Currently, our residents and businesses use 8,000 acre feet every year! The District will capture as much surface water as possible in the Rueter-Hess Reservoir, which represents a major component of our future water security.
Planning for the Future
How long the water in our Denver Basin aquifers will last is a matter of debate, but our current studies indicate that without imported surface water, Parker could face severe water shortages as soon as 20 years from now.
Given the length of time required to develop new sources of supply, PWSD management is entirely prudent in starting now to raise the revenues required to ensure consistent water supplies for the future of the Parker community.