At its Nov. 21 special meeting, the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) Board of Directors approved giving Archuleta County additional time to act on a water model provided for the extension of a main line at Stevens Field airport.
The county project to install new hydrants and an expanded water line began in July 2023 when the Pagosa Fire Protection District declined to provide its approval for certificates of occupancy for several hangars on the taxiway due to them lacking sufficient water flow for firefighting.
The modeling study included in the PAWSD board packet indicates the model covers the installation of five new fire hydrants and a proposed 10-inch water line along taxiway Bravo at the airport, which contains several private hangars.
It adds that the model also covers the full build-out of hangars along the taxiway, which would add 20 equivalent units of potable water demand in the area.
At the meeting, Archuleta County representative Jace Johnson explained that the water model was set to expire on Nov. 28 and that, although the county’s work on the project is “coming along very nicely,” it could not be completed by this date.
He added that the county is asking for a 12-month extension to give more time to act on the model’s conclusions.
PAWSD District Engineer/Manager Justin Ramsey stated that PAWSD only keeps water models open for a certain amount of time to ensure that water cannot be held indefinitely by one group who does not act on a model, thus denying water access to others.
He added that, in this case, this would not be a problem since the location is at the end of the water line.
PAWSD board member Bill Hudson asked if the county is planning to connect to another water line in the area.
Johnson confirmed that the project would be a “looped system” and that connecting to the other line would be necessary to meet the fire flow requirements.
PAWSD board member Glenn Walsh asked if there would be any benefits from the connection for the other line.
Ramsey replied that the looped system would have some benefits since it will help with water movement.
The board then unanimously approved the extension request.
josh@pagosasun.com
