Lookout Mountain Water District: Genesis and Evolution Presented - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Lookout Mountain Water District: Genesis and Evolution Presented by: John Roscoe, President of the Board and Panel: Board of Directors and Contractors September 30, 2010 1 3/12/2013

Introduction  Purpose: Update and describe the LMWD as it exists today to the community – Understand conditions (capacity and constraints) within LMWD – Understand future concerns facing LMWD  Community/audience: Customers, tap owners, property owners (taxpayers) and lateral organizations 2 3/12/2013

Agenda/Outline of Topics  Introduction and Overview (J. Roscoe 6:00- 6:10)  Geographic Features and Maps (J. Roscoe 6:10-6:20)  Infrastructure/Distribution System (B. Smith 6:20-6:40)  Historical perspective/chronology (J. Roscoe 6:40-6:55)  Break  Operations/Policies/Admin. (C. Young 7:10-7:20)  Financial/Tax Revenue (R. Nemer 7:20-7:30)  Laterals/Lateral Organizations (M. Mancini 7:30 – 7:45)  Future Concerns (D. Ranta 7:45 – 7:55)  Questions/Closing (D. Ranta 7:55 - 8:00) 3 3/12/2013

Introduction and Overview  Special District – Powers and duties are established by Colorado revised statutes – Oversight is a shared function of Counties and Division of Local Affairs (DOLA)  Governed by 5 Member elected Speci Board of Directors al Regulation Board of s Distri Directors ct  Introduction of Directors and contractors present Statut es Operation Infra- Admin- s structur istration e Water Customers Rights Finan ce 4 3/12/2013

Introduction and Overview continued  Water Rights – The District’s primary source water is surface water captured from the Beaver Brook Watershed which must be returned into the Clear Creek drainage basin  Contractors – Operations Speci al Board of Regulation – Administration Directors s Distri ct – Legal Counsel Statut – Engineering es Operation Admin- Infra-  Customers s istration structur – Tap owners e – Property owners Water Customers Rights Finan – Water users ce 5 3/12/2013

Introduction and Overview continued  Finance/Revenue – Enterprise Fund – Property Taxes – Capital Projects Speci al Board of  Infrastructure and Distribution Regulation Directors Distri s ct  Water and Dam Regulations Statut es Admin- Operation Infra- istration s structur e Water Customers Rights Finan ce 6 3/12/2013

Geographic Features and Maps  Description of features from West to East – Beaver Brook Watershed – Upper Beaver Brook Reservoir – Lower Beaver Brook Reservoir – Treatment Facility – Transmission main and vaults – Pump Station – 1 Million gallon storage tank – Laterals – Lookout Mountain Reservoir 7 3/12/2013

Geographic Features and Maps continued West sector in Clear Creek County (Upper and Lower Beaver Brook) 8 3/12/2013

Geographic Features and Maps continued West sector in Jefferson County (County Rd 65 to Ruby Ranch) 9 3/12/2013

Geographic Features and Maps continued Mid sector in Jefferson County (El Rancho to Mt Vernon Country Club Rd) 10 3/12/2013

Geographic Features and Maps continued East sector (Mt Vernon Country Club Rd to Lookout Mountain Reservoir) 11 3/12/2013

Infrastructure and Distribution System  John P. Downs Treatment Facility – Membrane Filtration (3 units, 2 can produce max output) – Emergency Generator  Three water reservoirs – Upper Beaver Brook raw water (1924, normal storage capacity 257 AF) – Lower Beaver Brook (1903, normal storage capacity 30 AF) – Lookout Mountain Reservoir (1903, normal storage capacity 101 AF, water is used for exchange only)  1 Million Gallon treated storage tank  Main distribution pipeline (12 miles)  Lateral distribution lines (9 miles)  Pump station, air relief stations, valves, etc.  Meters and Hydrants – 500+ meters – 100+ hydrants, only 27 are owned by LMWD  Private Service Lines 12 3/12/2013

Infrastructure and Distribution System continued  Water Service and Annual Minimum Charge – 565 Taps  500 Active ~ $162 per year including 32,000 gallons  35 Inactive Assigned ~ $150 per year  30 Inactive Unassigned ~ $300 per year – 1,300 estimate residential persons served – Government facilities served:  Clear Creek High School  Foothills Fire Stations (2)  Highland Rescue Ambulance Station  City of Denver Mountain Parks (5)  Jefferson County (3) 13 3/12/2013

Infrastructure and Distribution System continued Average annual water breakdown (5 year 2005-2009):  – Treated (inflow): 65,000,000 gallons (199 AF) – Released and backwash: 16,000,000 gallons – Billed: annual average 32,000,000 gallons LMWD Water Breakdown 2005 to 2009 80,000 70,000 Thousand gallons 2005 60,000 2006 50,000 40,000 2007 30,000 2008 20,000 2009 10,000 0 TF Inflow Backwash / Unmetered Billed Releases consumption 14 3/12/2013

Infrastructure and Distribution System continued  What is “water loss”? Combination of real and paper losses resulting in a calculated water loss rate – Real water loss  Leaks and Line Breaks (unmetered) – Discovered and repaired – Undiscovered  Leaks/waste (metered)  Operational use (flushing, maintenance and repairs)  Fire Department (training and emergency use, can be billed) – “Paper” loss  Broken or malfunctioning meters  Billing allowances, estimates and adjustments  Timing and use of estimates 15 3/12/2013

Infrastructure and Distribution System continued  Calculated Water Loss – Calculated losses over past 8 years indicates a 29% average  Not unusual for an aging system – Mitigation factors:  Main repairs for a discovered leak ($5,000 to $10,000 per location)  Main replacements or rehab ($100 - $125 per foot)  Master metering (main and laterals)  Repair customer meters for accurate billing – The District is actively working on reducing the water loss rate 16 3/12/2013

Historical Perspective/Chronology 1903 City of Golden began reservoir construction 1972 Election to create first District (Fails) 1982-1988 BBWCA works to create District (Service Plan) 1988 Bond Election (Successful) and LMWD is created 1988-1989 Treatment Facility built, portions of main are repaired 1990 Acquisition of 5 Farmers Highline Co. Shares 1990- present Portions of the main line are improved or repaired, treatment facility is improved, inactive taps activated 1992 Modification of Upper Beaver Brook dam and spillway to enlarge capacity 1995 Lookout Mountain Reservoir improved 2004 Subdistrict A created to replace and upgrade LMCrest HOA Lateral by TABOR election 2004 Electors approve a mil levy increase to fund operations, capital projects and reserves 2005 Emergency generator installed at Treatment Facility 2007-2008 Treatment Facility upgraded 2009 Preservation of Beaver Brook Watershed milestone 2010 Capital improvement projects including main replacement 17 3/12/2013

Historical Perspective continued  The $2,500,00 bond issue allowed the District to develop the treatment and distribution system. Portions were used to build the John P. Downs Treatment Facility and a 1 million gallon treated storage tank, and acquire additional water rights. – The bonds were paid solely by property taxes and were refinanced twice (1993 and 2003) resulting in direct savings to taxpayers; they were paid off in 2007 allowing the District to work on other capital needs. 18 3/12/2013

Operations, Policies and Administration  Board of Directors – Elected to 4-year terms by LMWD property owners and bonded – Set Policy  Policies, Rules and Regulations  Set water rates and fees  Bylaws – Oversee Contractors for Operations, Administration, Engineering and Legal – Fiduciary Responsibilities  Annual budget appropriations and mill levy  Insurance and fiduciary bonds – Oversee regulatory compliance 19 3/12/2013

Operations, Policies and Administration Continued  Treatment Technology, Certified Operator – Responsible for day to day work on reservoirs and dams, treatment facility, storage tank, distribution system and hydrants, meter maintenance/meter reading  Blacklock Integrated Services – Responsible for administration, customer service, billing, accounting, and Secretary to the Board  Engineers and Legal Counsel – Utilized as needed for general counsel, water rights, projects 20 3/12/2013

Operations, Policies and Administration Continued  Regulatory Compliance – Environmental Protection Agency – Colorado Department of Health, Division of Water Quality – Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources  Dam Safety Branch (Engineering)  Water Administration (Water Rights) 21 3/12/2013

Financial Data and Tax Revenue  Enterprise: when the user fees and charges fund at least 90% of the cost of providing the water and related services  This rate is now down to a range of 30 – 45 %  Enterprise Fund Revenue 2009 (39% $271K ) – Operating revenue – Fees and other  General Fund Revenue 2009 (61% $432K) – Real Property Taxes (58% of total revenue) – Specific Ownership Taxes 22 3/12/2013

Financial Data and Tax Revenue Continued  Water Rates – In 1988, the base rate was $4.00/Kgal, today it is only $5.06/Kgal. – The rates have increased by less 1 ½% each year on average.  Property Taxes – Assessed valuation from 2002 to now averaged $22 million, generating an average of $354,200 in revenue. 23 3/12/2013