‘We can't use the water': Pinewood Springs residents report brown water in their pipes
'It's not safe to drink,' John Koch told FOX31.
Koch said the system, established in 1973, should have been updated years ago, and now everyone is paying the price.
'We can't use the water; comes out of the faucets brown, comes out dirty,' he said.
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Residents are relying on bottled water and limiting contact with water coming out of faucets.
'We have to buy all of our water now, we have to get gallon jugs,' said Koch.
Pinewood Springs Water District Board Member Patty Peritz told the Problem Solvers the system is in an emergency state.
'The district loses 60% of its treated water annually and putting that into gallons is 1.3 million gallons a year for the last two years,' she said.
Residents were notified after a Jan. 22 meeting that the district is working with a consulting firm to address compliance issues. The community consists of less than 500 homes.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment told the Problem Solvers, 'We regulate the Pinewood Springs Water District in accordance with all state and federal regulations and are working with them to resolve some water quality issues.'
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CDPHE is also testing for the presence of manganese, which is not a regulated drinking water contaminant according to the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Peritz told FOX31 that phase one of the project will cost $3 million and addresses 25% of the system's needed repairs. Peritz said funding has been secured by an Energy Impact Assistance Fund grant, but water bills will still increase to pay to repair a system that's in violation of Colorado's water conservation plan.
The district will learn more on Wednesday about whether a loan could be approved for repairs as well. Groundbreaking is scheduled for this spring. Full completion of the project could take between five and seven years.
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