On†April 8, the Upper Big Sandy Ground Water Management District directed Larry Mott, board member and professional engineer, to investigate 2.4 million gallons of water that went missing from Calhanís municipal†wells during July, August and September 2014.†Mottís findings indicated that the town of Calhan had inconsistencies in its meter readings for those months. Mott sent the information to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which conducted its own investigation on the†missing water. As of Nov. 19, the El Paso County District Attorneyís office has the information from the CBIís investigation and is reviewing it, said Lee Richards, public information officer for the DAís office.According to a newsletter published Feb. 6 by the Calhan Chamber of Commerce, along with the help of their attorney, Jane Fredman, ìThe town does not want residents to know how much water it has given away over the years to bulk†water users and non-residents. The losses will have to be paid by the residents.îBryan Eurich, who was appointed mayor of Calhan following former mayor Blair Bartlingís resignation in July 2015, wrote in his Oct. 26 blog post on the townís website: ìWater rates being raised had nothing to do with bulk water,†the missing water, or any other rumor you might have heard. The Board of Trustees decided to raise the rates because of an audit that showed the Town did not make enough money from water and sewage rates to maintain our†current infrastructure.îOn Aug. 28, 2014, Bartling sent out a letter to all the townís bulk water users notifying them that the town was ìtightening upî the ìbulk water sale processî because of an audit that showed a revenue shortfall. The letter states the†following: ìThe deals we have done in the past, such as allowing neighboring farmers and ranchers to take water and pay later, with the individual keeping track, are just not feasible any more [sic].îAdditionally, ìWe can no longer allow water to be taken from fire hydrants without our supervision.îWho pays what is a factor in the districtís financial woes.A letter sent to the Upper Big Sandy District from Cindy Tomkins, town clerk, and the former Calhan public works director, Greg Maggard, stated that a water leak was discovered July 17, 2014, on property owned by Ed and Edwin Glaser. The property is located near the Calhan Airport but outside the city limits. The leak resulted in at least 1 million gallons of lost water.According to invoices sent to the town of Calhan from All Rental Center Inc. and Mountain States Pipe & Supply Co., the cost to repair the leak on the Glaser property totaled $3623.89, excluding labor or the cost of the lost water. The town paid for the repairs, per the townís receipts. However, a resolution the town of Calhan passed on Jan. 3, 1977, stated, ìThe expense of installing any water lines to serve the properties shall be borne by the property owner.îIn an email between the townís attorney, Jeff Parker, and Tompkins, Parker wrote, ìI think that all costs of installing, maintaining and replacing the water lines should be paid by the property owners. Of course, the†resolution doesnít specifically say that, but I think the most reasonable interpretation is that the owners should pay for the related costs.îIn an email to The New Falcon Herald, Tompkins wrote that no payment has ever been received from the Glaser family for the repairs to the water line or the lost water.†The chamber newsletter states that this type of accounting oversight or error, coupled with years of underreporting by bulk water users, has resulted in the townís revenue shortfall and the motivation behind a rate increase to†Calhanís residents.The Calhan Board of Trustees sent a letter to all bulk water users†Oct. 14, 2014, stating that all bulk water sales must be done during normal business hours, with town personnel present. The bulk water will be measured either by a†meter provided by the town or by known tank capacity.In a letter sent to the town residents dated Oct. 15, 2014, Maggard wrote that the Board of Trustees directed him to research the availability of a hydrant-locking mechanism that would secure the townís northwest hydrant from unauthorized users. He†attached the mechanism to the hydrant†Oct. 2, 2014.In a separate interview with the NFH, Eurich said bulk water sales have been suspended, pending the results of the CBI investigation. If the CBI determines that some bulk water users took water they did not pay for; or, if there is†an outstanding balance due to the town for any repairs made during the water leak in 2014, they will report that to the town; and the Board of Trustees will act accordingly, he said.ìI do not speak for the board, but I would imagine that the board would go with the recommendation of the CBI,î Eurich said. The CBI has interviewed several town employees, but their investigation has not yet been completed.
