Tuesday, December 6, 2005

Harris Sherman appointed to Denver Water Denver Business Journal: "Harris Sherman, a senior partner at the Denver office of Arnold & Porter LLP and a former executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, was appointed Tuesday to the Denver Water Board by Mayor John Hickenlooper. Sherman will fill the vacancy created when Commissioner Bill Roberts resigned on Oct. 18 for health reasons. Hickenlooper now has appointed four of the five Denver Water commissioners. Established in 1918, Denver Water is one of the state's most powerful entities, and is Colorado's oldest and largest water utility, serving 1.2 million customers. Its board is responsible for ensuring a continuous supply of water to Denver and surrounding suburbs...The Denver Water Board is composed of five commissioners, appointed by the mayor, who serve staggered six-year terms. Denver Water Board members with ongoing, unexpired terms are Denise Maes, appointed by former Mayor Wellington Webb; George Beardsley and Tom Gougeon, who were appointed by Mayor Hickenlooper in 2004; and Penfield Tate, who was appointed by Mayor Hickenlooper in October 2005." Category: Colorado Water 6:13:31 PM     Castle Rock and sustainable water supplies Here's a short article about Castle Rock's plans for a sustainable water supply from today's Denver Post [December 6, 2005, "Ideas converge in Castle Rock's water plan"]. From the article, "As Castle Rock unveils a $394 million plan to meet its future water needs, Douglas County Commissioner Steve Boand says the 37 other water providers in the county should have a similar strategy for managing growth...The switch from aquifers to renewable water - a combination of supplies from rivers, farms, treated wastewater and drainage into the Rueter-Hess Reservoir under construction - won't be cheap. If the Town Council adopts the plan, as expected, residents will see water rates jump from about $5 a month to $10 a month. That figure would reach $25 a month by 2010. Development fees would double, increasing by $12,000 for each new tap to pay for the rest of the water plan." From today's Denver Post, "The Sierra Club on Monday sued Colorado Springs Utilities and the city of Colorado Springs over raw sewage discharges into Fountain Creek. The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court, asks for an order requiring the city to stop the discharges and to expedite upgrades to the sewer system. 'This is a public health crisis that must be fixed now,' said Ross Vincent, Sierra Club senior policy analyst in Pueblo. Steve Berry, a spokesman for Colorado Springs Utilities, said the utility has launched several initiatives to reduce spills." More on the Sierra Club lawsuit from the Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "The Sierra Club filed a complaint against Colorado Springs in Denver federal court Monday seeking an injunction and civil penalties for repeated sewage spills into Fountain Creek. The lawsuit likely will be joined with a suit filed in October by Pueblo District Attorney Bill Thiebaut, said Eric Huber, Sierra Club attorney. 'We look forward to supporting the action,' Huber said. 'Pueblo can't wait another seven years for the raw sewage discharges to end.' The complaint details spills of more than 73 million gallons of raw sewage since 1998, focusing on spills in May and June that dumped more than 340,000 gallons into Fountain Creek." Category: Colorado Water 6:25:45 AM

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