It’s time for Frank Jaeger and other members of the South Metro
Water Supply Study Board to collectively take a deep breath, put
egos aside and work for the good of Douglas County and other metro
area residents.
Jaeger, manager of the Parker Water and Sanitation District,
cited a number of reasons for the district’s decision to withdraw
from the board’s study of south metro water needs and possible ways
to meet those needs in the future. Among those reasons were the
study’s cost and methods, delays in its completion and a lack of
certain guarantees from Denver Water.
For its part, the board says some of the delays were caused by
requests from the Parker Water and Sanitation District.
It serves no purpose to choose sides or cast blame. What is
important is the need to change attitudes.
For too long, water wars inside Colorado’s borders have allowed
millions of acre feet of water to escape the state to be used or
wasted in other states. For too long, water wars inside this state
have prevented local water providers from even beginning to take
meaningful measures to address what is the biggest threat to
Colorado’s future – the potential lack of water supplies adequate
enough to supply the state’s population.
Denver Water, the state’s largest supplier, Parker Water and 11
south metro area suppliers had begun to look at ways of slaking the
thirst of area residents in wet and dry years. Jaeger now refuses
to be a part of that, and the other suppliers seem content to say
Jaeger will be Jaeger and continue on without Parker
Water.
That might seem fine now, but when metro area water woes get
really bad, which some experts have projected could happen in only
20 years or so, everyone is going to need everyone else. Unless the
groundwork for cooperation then is established by cooperation now,
residents of the area will be left high and dry and in the
future.
It’s time to agree, at the very least, on the need to cooperate.
Then one can argue the details.