Elbert County and Simla officials seek funding, study to fix towns discolored water

Elbert County commissioners, Simla town leaders and state representatives met in a work session to review longstanding problems with Simlas drinking water system and to outline funding options for repairs.

Mayor Ryan Fulmer and town officials said residents regularly receive brown, metallic-tasting water. Officials said the system currently meets Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment minimum testing requirements but that visible discoloration and poor taste have driven residents to buy bottled water, install whole-house filters and lodge complaints.

The town described multiple technical causes: about 14,000 feet of remaining cast-iron pipe (installed circa 1914), three storage tanks (one taken out of service for lead-based paint), and five wells that sometimes pump directly into distribution instead of sending water to tanks for treatment. Those operating conditions, officials said, can leave an estimated portion of daily water supply without the full 30-minute disinfection contact time. Officials said the highest storage tank delivers roughly 22 psi in nearby houses, below the CDPHE-recommended 35 psi and near the threshold where a boil-water notice would be required.

Town leaders reviewed the projects history: a 2018 preliminary engineering study estimated roughly $1.3 million to address the system; pandemic-related supply and price changes and additional scope increased the project cost to somewhere above $1.8 million and, in subsequent planning, to more than $2 million. The town said a portion of pipe replacement already completed in 2022 covered about 7,000 feet, but several streets still require replacement and roughly 6,700 feet of new piping would be needed to route well flows to tanks.

Mayor Fulmer said the town needs an updated engineering study and cost estimate. Officials asked for about $20,000 to hire a new engineering firm; they said a prior firm had missed some problems and the town has since changed consultants. "The first step we have to take is to get our new engineering company to come in and say, 'This is what you need. This is how much it'll cost,'" a town official said during the session.

State and county staff outlined funding paths. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program can provide planning and construction funding in separate rounds; planning awards can be used to develop designs and applications for construction grants, and funding awards in a construction round can reach into the mid-hundreds of thousands (officials referenced planning awards up to roughly $25,000 and construction awards of several hundred thousand dollars). The Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund was presented as another option for larger grants (staff described awards up to about $1 million, typically with a 50/50 local match). Staff also described the state revolving fund as a low-interest loan option that can serve as match but warned the loan application-to-closing timeline can run 12— to 14 months and that cost escalation may continue during that window.

County commissioners discussed matching strategies if the town applied for Energy Impact or CDBG dollars, noting that CDBG awards can sometimes be used as match. Commissioners asked whether the county could help with the $20,000 study cost; in the work session several commissioners indicated preliminary support for placing the Simla water funding discussion on a county meeting agenda and discussed the possibility of contributing toward start-up costs. A commissioner asked whether the county should seek media attention if the town encountered roadblocks.

Public-safety concerns were raised: commissioners and a fire official noted that low pressure in parts of town could compromise fire response on uphill properties, and participants cited sediment accumulation in storage tanks (reports of roughly 8— inches of sediment) and ongoing operational limits such as lack of four-way isolation valves that hinder efficient flushing.

Next steps agreed at the session were to pursue the $20,000 engineering study (state staff said planning funds could be turned around quickly once applied for), assemble grant applications for CDBG/Energy Impact and consider state revolving loan options, and place the item on an upcoming county agenda for formal discussion. No formal county appropriation or binding commitment was made during the work session.

The county and town said they would coordinate on grant strategy, community outreach and potential local match sources. The work session concluded with county staff offering assistance with applications and the town confirming it will bring a formal agenda item to the county for further consideration.