Town staff warns new state plumbing rule could limit local backflow testing; water system updates presented to council

Town staff told the council that a recent Colorado Plumbing Board rule will require licensed plumbers to perform testing of backflow devices, a change that could limit who can legally perform those tests locally.

"The Colorado plumbing board just passed something that to test backflow devices you have to be a licensed plumber," a town staff member told the council, saying roughly 200 plumbers statewide currently hold the certification compared with about 2,000 people who now perform testing. Staff said state enforcement could begin next April if the board moves forward, a timeline that would reduce the pool of available testers unless the rule is changed.

Why it matters: Backflow-device testing is key to preventing contamination of the drinking-water system. Council members were told the town currently relies on local testers and that, if the state strictly enforces the rule, the town would have to adapt its approach and rely on certified plumbers or internal capabilities for its own facilities.

Staff briefed the council on a range of operational issues and near-term projects. Water flows in the White River have been strong after a late winter; staff reported an average daily plant output of about 88,000 gallons in a recent month with some days exceeding 1.0 million gallons. A recently installed variable frequency drive (VFD) on pump No. 3 was turned on after a two-year wait; staff cautioned the pump may need rebuilding after sitting idle for an extended period.

Staff also announced the town received a grant from DOA to support replacement radios and River pump repairs and said the contract had just arrived. Some parts for the project have long lead times.

On regulatory compliance, staff said compliance samples and reports were submitted with no violations and that the town's 2023 Consumer Confidence Report is posted at Town Hall, on the town website and on social media.

The council was briefed on a new state rule targeting copper service lines and related mapping obligations. Staff said mapping work reduced the number of unknown service-line records from about 1,300 to roughly 90 and that the town sent self-survey letters to residents; the remaining unknown entries must be addressed before an October deadline, after which the state requires verifying a percentage of lines.

Operations staff described recurring maintenance needs: the fluoride feed system has been clogging, prompting repairs to hypo-tank piping and plans for additional replacements next year, and crews are completing tie-ins for a headworks project that will include manhole swaps and site security once construction finishes.

Addressing staffing, staff said one operatorwas reclassified after state changes and is working toward a difficult certification; until staff complete licensing, operator responsibilities for the neighboring town of Dinosaur are being covered by a designated colleague.

On recent outages, the council heard that crews responded to two water-line breaks on old ductile-iron pipe in consecutive days; crews tied in a new line at the West M intersection and are continuing replacement work southward.

Next steps: staff reported a sanitary survey by state inspectors is expected in early August and said they will continue mapping service lines, complete the headworks tie-in, and proceed with grant-funded pump and radio work.