A transition from one water supplier to another in the town of Dove Creek is reportedly proceeding smoothly
However, the town hall remains closed because of anger and threats directed at staff over major price hikes caused by the change. It has been closed since early in May.
Because of an enforcement order issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regarding water quality, the town board voted on June 17, after obtaining an engineering report, to switch from the Dolores Water Conservancy District to Montezuma Water Company as its water source.
The CDPHE issued the order in March of last year because levels of total trihalomethanes (called TTHMs), a contaminant, exceeded the maximum allowed.
Montezuma Water uses chloramines instead of chlorine to treat its water. Those chloramines result in lower levels of TTHMs, according to a letter Mayor Grant Allen wrote to town residents and posted on social media on June 13.
At a special meeting June 30, the town board named the water operator responsible in charge for the town, Rich Landreth, as interim town manager, replacing Lorraine Hancock.
“I was going to be here anyway,” Landreth told KSJD on Tuesday. “Somebody has to be here to make decisions with Lorraine gone.
“This project is super-important, so it kind of worked out.”
Landreth told KSJD the town has been conducting a “burn,” which involves raising chlorine levels throughout the distribution system to take care of biofilm inside pipes.
The transition to the new water source is supposed to begin Monday, he said.
He said Dove Creek’s town hall remains closed, but he hopes the controversy and anger will diminish after the water transition occurs.
“Hopefully everything will go back to normal as the water settles in,” he said.
