The Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) Board of Directors heard an update from its recently formed equivalent unit (EU) calculation subcommittee at its April 10 meeting.
The subcommittee was formed at the district’s March 13 meeting in response to issues with the EU calculations at the Timberline affordable housing project, located near Aspen Village.
An EU is a unit of water or wastewater that is intended to represent the average use of a single-family home.
PAWSD board member Alex Boehmer explained that the subcommittee, composed of himself and PAWSD board member Bill Hudson, discussed the issue and came to the recommendation that the board should “take a look” at how EUs are charged.
He noted that the meeting was the last before the board election in May and that a further discussion should be delayed until after this election since there were three open seats on the five-member board.
Boehmer continued that the decrease from 51 EUs to eight EUs requested by Timberline is “not reasonable,” especially because the district already gave the development significant discounts.
He stated that the district should look at how EUs are calculated in general, since the usage for a large home is very different from a small apartment.
However, he stated that the district likely should not create new rules for federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects as this would open up the district to potential conflicts of interest and to demands from other affordable housing projects.
Hudson noted the differences between tiny homes and mansions, although he noted that he understands why PAWSD had to simplify EU calculations since assessing each project individually would be a “massive job.”
If this approach is impractical, Hudson proposed that an alternative could be looking at if properties have deed restrictions and if there should be allowances for low-income families.
Hudson added that he agreed with Boehmer that the issue should be discussed further after the board election.
In response to board member questions, Boehmer and Hudson both emphasized that discussing the issue after the election would be valuable, but that they were not currently recommending specific solutions.
PAWSD board member Glenn Walsh noted that the issue of EU calculation is different for water and wastewater since PAWSD has water meters and bills for excessive water use, but does not have wastewater meters and does not have a way to track sewer usage.
Hudson pointed out that outdoor water usage for things like lawn irrigation is also different between different sizes of dwelling.
Walsh noted that PAWSD has more tools to address water EUs, while wastewater EUs will “have unfairnesses however you choose.”
Hudson noted that another issue would be how to approach affordable housing projects that have one meter that serves multiple units.
PAWSD chairman Jim Smith commended Boehmer and Hudson for their work on the issue.
Hudson concluded the conversation by noting that it would be a long-term issue that would require significant discussion in the future.
josh@pagosasun.com
