Ballots are in the mail. See details here.
Time for a New Voice on the PAWSD Board
Are you tired of rising water rates and a lack of transparency from the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD)? If you care about fair water rates and, more importantly, our community’s future, then I, Carl Young, am asking for your support as I run for the PAWSD Board.
I pledge to be your advocate at every meeting, demanding the transparency and accountability we deserve. My commitment is clear: to implement comprehensive water planning that protects our long-term supply, scrutinize every dollar of ratepayer money, and ensure that every decision made serves our community’s best interests. Join me as we work together to secure a better water future for Pagosa Springs.
Have you noticed increases in your water bill? The PAWSD (Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District) Board has adopted a plan to raise sanitary sewer charges by 172% through 2031. This is not a typo—these figures come directly from the PAWSD notice filed with the state.
My own $80 January bill is up around $10 a month from 2024. Assuming the same $10 rate increase over the next 6 years, my bill will be up $60 a month by 2031. That’s $140 a month before I start to water my garden!
(PAWSD doesn’t provide example bills, but you can call
970-731-2691 and a staff member will be able to create a comparison based upon your historical usage.)
Raising Prices, Slowing Growth
Monthly customers are not the only ones hit with higher charges.
New connection fees (called Capital Investment Fees by PAWSD and known elsewhere as tap fees) have already increased from $6,531 to $24,637, according to the same filing. To put this in perspective: if you purchase a $60,000 lot in the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association (PLPOA), you must pay a connection fee that brings your investment to $84,637—before construction costs.
Local real estate agents and builders report that the $24,637 connection fee is deterring new homebuyers and suppressing residential construction.
Are these new charges necessary? The increased rates and connection fees are based on a 2023 study that Director Glenn Walsh publicly criticized as “deeply flawed” during a January 13 meeting. He maintained this position during fierce questioning by Chairman Jim Smith on February 13.
Given these concerns, PAWSD should pause and reassess these fee increases. If the underlying rate study (which cost $54,300) is flawed, why proceed with the increases? Shouldn’t the Board commission a more accurate study before implementing such significant changes?
It’s Time for a Change in PAWSD Leadership
If you care about fair water rates and our community’s future, support me, Carl Young, for the PAWSD Board. I pledge to be your advocate at every meeting, demanding transparency and accountability. My commitment is clear: implement comprehensive water planning that protects our long-term supply, scrutinize every dollar of ratepayer money, and ensure decisions serve our community’s best interests.
Sign up for my newsletter as I continue to discuss PAWSD’s $56 million budget. (Bet you didn’t know PAWSD has a bigger 2025 budget then Archuleta County’s $51 million.)
In future newsletters I will look at why the debt service fund is zero, and what the heck are enterprise funds? Also we will talk about planning, water leakage, fire hydrants, the Vista sewage treatment plant in the PLPOA, and upgrades for the revived Snowball water plant for downtown.
I’ll also consider why PAWSD hasn’t had an election in years. Some newcomers don’t even know PAWSD is a public utility with elected board members like La Plata Electric.
To Answer Before Asked…
What about downtown poop pushed up Putt Hill to the Vista plant in the PLPOA? PAWSD treats it but the town is responsible for getting it there. That stuff, you might say, is in the hands of the town.
8 responses to “Pause PAWSD Rate Hikes”
Thank you for running for the PAWSD Board and doing so much research that the “common people” do not know about.
It seems there needs to be a change in leadership for PAWSD!
Thank you! I live in eyesight of the Vista plant in Eaton Estates and the smell is SO bad at times that we can’t even go outside and enjoy our yard. And with no air conditioning, we depend on keeping our windows open in the summer and have that stench in our house. Please help!! Honestly, I’m less worried about my rates than about the problems with this facility and future serious issues.
So sorry to hear about your issue. There are plans to upgrade the sewer treatment plant, but I haven’t seen anything to address odors. I will keep an ear out.
Go Carl Young!
Thank you very much for stepping up for all of us! We have been here 4 years and have not gotten any good information. We also got burned on the connection fee. We will be supporters for your
The minimum rates now are outrageous. As a widow – I’m using only about 800 gallons of water a month, so it’s obvious my sewer use is also low. I’ve called PAWS to ask how much water I can use before my price would go up and the people on the phone are unable to give a response that the common person can understand. And since you can visit the office in person to demand a simple response to the question – what is a person to do? It seems they are encouraging the waste of precious water via landscaping, etc. rather than rewarding those who limit their consumption. Things do need to change.
Carl: I have three concerns about PAWSD. First, they grandstand touting they have all the water they need for the future, but they have not done one study to corroborate that statement. In addition they won’t accept professional studies done by SJWCD that shows a need for 10,000 AF in just twenty years. Heck they won’t even cooperate in a free state program called Growing Water Smart. Next, they lose up to half their treated water in the system. They are mandated under an agreement with the state to utilize all the money they save each year in payments to the state to reduce those losses. They aren’t doing it! Finally, the litigation to sell the ranch (Running Iron) is a waste of taxpayer dollars. It’s not just the litigation itself but if PAWSD were able to sell it, the penalties under the 2015 agreement would require PAWSD to kick in about $2 million from the sale just to pay the penalties – it’s a lose, lose, lose proposition.
Incumbent Board Member Gene Tautges disputes Rod Proffitt’s comments. He emailed a document to correct what he calls false information.
https://pawsd.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/RPT_cwcb-annual-water-loss-reduction_2023-08-30_P_.pdf
Note: I would link to the document on the PAWSD.org website but Search doesn’t come up with any document by this name.