Pressure is on rural water services
By RMI Staff 
| August 11, 2009 | 9:35 AM
Some of Colorado’s rural water systems are struggling to provide reliable service, under pressure from aging infrastructure and regulations that don’t distinguish between massive metropolitan suppliers and tiny ones serving as few as 15 households.
The problems are washing out around Pueblo: Water service has been out for more than a week in a subdivision on St. Charles Mesa; Olney Springs residents were ordered to boil their water last month; and Rye was under a similar order for a year.
While larger systems are looking at expanding, smaller districts may be just trying to survive. Rich Hayes, director of the Colorado Rural Water Association, said the current economic conditions have slowed growth in some areas, and noted larger systems have to be maintained as well. The large municipal providers may be better equipped to maintain them than smaller communities with aging populations.
Read the story at chieftain.com.
boil, olney springs, pueblo, regulations, rural, rye, service, water
