Douglas County commission reviews interim water-plan draft; consultants push reuse, landscaping and monitoring

The Douglas County Water Commission on an interim review on May (date not specified) examined a draft county water plan that consultants said will prioritize reuse, demand-reduction strategies and better monitoring to sustain long-term supplies.

Consultant Ted Hyde of Michael Baker International summarized input from three focus groups — developers, private well owners and water providers — and told commissioners the groups largely supported steering growth to areas served by providers able to implement reuse and to treat groundwater as a limited reserve rather than a primary long-term supply. Hyde recommended “a flexible menu-based approach” for conservation measures rather than rigid mandates and said outdoor irrigation controls and certified landscape practices would yield the biggest water savings.

Commissioners pressed for measurable objectives. “Measurable objectives are critical to any plan,” Commissioner James Eklund said, arguing for a public-facing scorecard and annual implementation metrics so residents can “keep score” on progress. Consultants said demand projections will include a ±5% range and that some per-capita numbers (a gross GPCD figure of about 152 including irrigation) need clearer explanation and breakout by residential versus commercial uses to be useful as policy targets.

Reuse and renewable water were recurring themes. Harold Smethals pointed to current reuse making up about 25% of supply and argued the draft should be stronger: “I think it should be strengthened to say required to succeed,” he said, urging that reuse be elevated in policy and implementation language. Consultants and several commissioners said reuse is one of the cheapest future supplies and suggested implementation incentives (grants, zoning, funding) rather than blunt mandates.

Concerns about equity and hydrologic risk also surfaced. Trisha Bernhardt warned that policies enabling new well fields or moving water from sparsely populated southern areas to population centers could leave rural residents without viable water options; commissioners asked the consultants to add explicit protections and impact analysis for southern Douglas County residents before public release.

Consultants described data and monitoring proposals: improved well-level monitoring, a countywide GIS tool and new aquifer net-pay heat maps intended to show where groundwater is more abundant. Bill Fronczak (Spheros Environmental) noted the maps will be improved with clearer legends and said the plan will differentiate “physically available” groundwater from what is economically extractable and sustainable over time.

Procedurally, the commission adopted an amendment to the March 30 minutes to note the earlier discussion of protecting the Dawson and Denver aquifers and rural water users. The commission also moved to appoint Don (last name as in the record) as chair and Evan Hila as vice chair by consensus after staff and legal counsel said appointments could be made if there was no opposition.

What’s next: staff and consultants said members will receive a revised, full rewrite of the draft ahead of the commission’s May 18 meeting; the document is slated for public release pending Board of County Commissioners review. Commissioners asked that Chapter 10 (implementation) be emphasized and that measurable objectives and clearer explanations of demand and supply metrics be included before public circulation.

The commission adjourned after scheduling follow-up work on Chapter 10 and coordination with county staff.