On April 9, the Pagosa Springs Town Council made two decisions regarding the future of the town’s wastewater conveyance system.
Currently, the town conveys its wastewater 7 miles uphill, through a series of pump and lift stations, to the Vista wastewater treatment plant, which is owned and operated by the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD).
Since 2105, the system has been plagued by a series of electrical and pump failures, as well as an aging pipe system.
In November 2025, town-voters approved ballot initiative 2A, which created a 1 percent sales tax increase for purchases within town limits to fund critical repairs and improvements to the sewer system.
The funds collected from this sales tax increase go into a newly created town Sewer Infrastructure and Facilities Fund (SIFF).
The council decided at the meeting to transfer $2,957,800 from its general fund to the SIFF so that it could make pump stations 1 and 2 function normally again without being in bypass mode.
Town Clerk April Hessman explained the fund transfer as “a little shuffle to help pay for this project until the SIFF money comes in.”
The cost will cover the purchase of brand-new pumps, electrical work and contractor installation, an agenda document states.
The council also decided to table, for now, entering into a service agreement with Roaring Fork Engineering to complete the design of and permitting for a new San Juan wastewater treatment facility downtown.
The town has worked with Roaring Fork since 2023 on assessing its wastewater system situation and outlook for the future.
Sanitation Projects Administrator Karl Johnson explained that part of the cost from the $2.9 million to get the pump stations back into normal operation would include “eight months worth of bypass pumping” while the town waits for the new pumps to arrive and be installed.
Johnson added that part of the cost also includes a “contingency, just in case anything unforeseen happens and there’s any additional costs.”
On the eight-month wait time for the new pumps, he said, “We are looking at ways to shrink that lead time, especially on the delivery side,” adding that if the council approved the funding, he could “place the order for the new pumps” right away.
Representatives from the pump manufacturer would be present at the install and help town staff “dial them in,” he said.
He added, “If we are gonna make this purchase, we want a little bit of extra, because this will be the last time we purchase pumps” since the town is looking at building a new plant to avoid uphill conveyance.
“We are finally putting in the pumps that we should have put in three times ago,” council member Mat deGraaf said. “I think it speaks to sometimes the lowest bidder is not the best option, so as we consider other projects … give that a thought. We’ve replaced these pumps multiple times with different pumps, all while avoiding the ones we should have put in the first time.”
Johnson suggested that deGraaf is correct that “this will be the third time that the town has considered these” specific Flygt pumps, adding that past decisions not to use these pumps came down to “money” as the main factor.
He added that “these pumps were designed specially for wastewater,” saying that he had experience working with these Flygt pumps before and that, in his experience, “they work really well.”
deGraaf asked if it would be more cost effective to continue with the current conveyance system rather than spending money on a new plant downtown if the pumps end up working really well.
“There’s a cost-benefit analysis to all of this. I don’t have the answer and I particularly don’t have a preference, but with the millions that we are putting into the conveyance system now, can that pay dividends down the road?” asked deGraaf.
Council member Madeline Bergon responded that she thought Roaring Fork’s analysis “already determined” that a new plant downtown is the best way to go.
Council member Brooks Lindner asked what the outlook on installing a temporary “pocket plant” downtown would be while the town designs and constructs a new permanent plant.
Johnson explained that “we won’t know” until the town gets an access permit from the state to build a new plant.
He said that “we are six months out, at least,” on the permit.
When a motion was made to approve the transfer of funds from the general fund to the SIFF, it was seconded and approved unanimously by the council.
On entering into an agreement with Roaring Fork to design and permit a new plant, Johnson explained, again, that the town is in the process of getting an access “permit completed.”
Maggie McHugh, representing Roaring Fork at the meeting, explained that “when all is said and done,” it would take about 18-24 months to go through the design and permitting process of building a new plant.
Council member Gary Williams expressed that he was in favor of tabling the decision on the town entering into a new agreement with Roaring Fork to design and permit a new plant.
Williams added that he wants to see how the new pump equipment performs before making a decision and that the council should wait until after its strategic retreat to make the decision.
Mayor Shari Pierce asked Johnson if there are any negative implications if the council waits on a decision about Roaring Fork, with Johnson replying, “I don’t see any negative implications.”
When a motion was made to table the decision, it was seconded and approved unanimously by the council.
derek@pagosasun.com
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