The Woodmen Hills Metropolitan Districtís board of directors met in September; they held an executive session prior to the meeting but no action was taken at that time.Two Woodmen Hills residents spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting to bring up concerns about their water quality. John and Carolyn Polk said a new fire hydrant put in near their house was hooked up to the same water line that will service the new 7-Eleven under construction off Meridian Road. Following the hydrant installation, the Polks said their water became cloudy and dirty, with lots of air in the system.Carolyn Polk said WHMD employees instructed her to drain her water heater, which would hopefully resolve the issue. When that didnít help, the WHMD told her the water at the hydrant was clear, which indicated the problem was in their water heater and she would need to purchase a new one, she said.After buying a new water heater, the water coming from their faucets is still dirty and cloudy, Polk said. She said she and her husband were told to speak to the board to see what could be done about fixing the problem with the water and potentially getting a refund for the new water heater they were told to buy.Water/wastewater director Gene Cozzolino said he would have to look into the situation but that cloudiness in the water is usually caused by air in the system. He said he would find a way to remedy the situation.Residents expressed concerns about recurring vandalism to the memorial wall at Balcon Park and the new transmitting systems used to read the new meters that have been installed in the majority of the homes in Woodmen Hills. The directors said they would research both situations and come back at a subsequent meeting with possible solutions.Evan Ela, the districtís attorney, updated the board about a meeting he had with an engineering company. He said they discussed a water replacement plan that the state of Colorado is requiring of the district. Ela said the district is consuming water through drainage and detention ponds that exceeds what it is allowed to use and must find a way to replace about 17-acre-feet of water per year.Ela said thereís a major drainage structure located off Judge Orr Road, adding to the problem by consistently expelling about 90 gallons per minute that is coming from the foundations in some of the houses in the district. In all, Ela said the deficit the district is facing amounts to about 145-acre-feet per year.The board discussed several potential solutions to the problem, including the construction of an injection site where the water could be pumped back into the aquifer from which the district extracts its water. Ela said the deadline for creating a plan to resolve this issue is the end of October.Directors approved a land purchase item in a 4-1 vote, with board treasurer Jan Pizzi opposed. The property is located between Garrett Road and Spring Wagon Road, near Blaney Road, said Robert Lovato, board vice president.Board secretary Al Kreps said the board has not decided on their intentions for the land but the price was good. There was discussion that it could be used for a wastewater treatment plant to meet the needs of the growing community. Kreps also said the money for the purchase had been budgeted for almost two years. Keith Moulton, president, said the district plans to close on the property Sept. 30.Eddie Avedikian, the districtís park and recreation director, updated the board on recent activity and plans for the Woodmen Hills Frightening 5K run/walk Oct. 26. He said he hopes the event will be annual.The next WHMD board meeting is Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Woodmen Hills Community Center West.
