Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Water topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Airport consultant warns shared well could trigger public‑water rules; board opts not to assume system now
Summary
A consultant told the Broadwater County Airport Board that a shared well serving multiple hangars could meet DEQ thresholds for a public water supply, bringing construction, testing, and billing obligations. The board agreed it would not operate a public water system and tabled a decision pending demand and cost estimates.
A consultant to the Broadwater County Airport Board told members that installing a shared well or providing water for future hangars could create statutory obligations if usage exceeds state thresholds.
"If that well exceeds the DEQ public water supply well standards — 15 service connections, or it regularly serves 25 persons daily for 60 or more days in a calendar year — then it becomes a public drinking water supply well," Lance Bowser (Robert Pesch and Associates) said. He warned that public supply wells require different construction standards, permitting and ongoing testing and monitoring.
Board members discussed options: allow individual hangar owners or an FBO (fixed-base operator) to install and run water service; allocate space on the airport layout plan (ALP) for a future public well and let private owners connect; or install a public well now and run distribution and billing as an airport service. Members expressed concern about the cost and complexity of operating a small public water system, including construction (Bowser estimated a public well might cost on the order of $80,000) and potential ongoing administrative burdens.
The board noted one hangar space (temporarily reserved by Eric Stall) and agreed the immediate demand may be low. Several members recommended waiting until more hangars are built or a confirmed FBO tenant requests service. Suggestions included reserving space on the ALP and requiring future connectors to pay hookup and amortized costs rather than the county operating the system.
No formal action was taken; the board agreed to let the item drop from the next meeting’s primary agenda and revisit it once demand or specific lease requests make the costs and responsibilities clearer.
