HOA president urges council to rethink ordinance mandating replacement of galvanized water lines; project costs could top $1 million

Sue Atkinson, president and treasurer of a 36-unit homeowners association, urged the council to reevaluate Ordinance 19 — the city's replacement mandate for galvanized water service lines enacted last November — and said the ordinance is more aggressive than state law. She said the city's inventory of older lines is incomplete and that an earlier December 2024 water-line leak had brought galvanized lines to staff attention and triggered an initial replacement deadline of October 2026.

Atkinson gave a cost estimate for her HOA's replacement program of between $935,000 and $1.3 million and said rising material and financing costs make the requirement burdensome. "The projected cost for my HOA, after doing lots of research over the last few months, is between $935,000 and 1,300,000," she said, adding that many owners would question whether they can continue to live in Aspen if faced with that expense.

Mayor Richards and staff encouraged continued conversation and said staff would work with management to address inventory and compliance questions. Council did not change the ordinance at the meeting but asked staff to continue discussions with affected property owners.

Why it matters: A mandatory replacement schedule for service lines can impose large, immediate capital costs on homeowners and HOAs; the city must balance public health and state/federal compliance with affordability and equity for long-standing residents.