‘DOWNSIZING’ OF PROVIDER WILL LEAVE RESIDENTS DRY
Some Boulder residents who are not currently tapped into the city’s water service will soon need to find a new private water provider after a local carrier alerted several customers that it will no longer be able to service their area beginning next month.
Gerald Davis, owner of A1 Discount Water, which has worked with the city of Boulder
since 2018, notified residents via email March 6 that the company will no longer be able to offer them water starting April 1.
It is unclear how many residents received this email or how many will lose service. A1 Discount Water serves residents who fall outside the city’s water service area, includes the southern end of the city near Colo. 93 and Shanahan Ridge and extends north along Dakota Ridge and U.S. 36.
In the email, Davis said the decision to stop providing water to specific areas is a result of “certain health issues currently facing our ownership team, coupled with a less than business friendly environment within the city of Boulder water department. As a collective result, continuing the business is no longer a viable option.”
Johnetta Davis, with A1 Discount Water, declined to comment other than to say that the company is not closing — as was suggested in the email — but is “downsizing.” She did not respond to follow-up questions nor did she confirm the validity of the email. The Daily Camera obtained a copy of the email from Boulder resident Liz Gehring, who lives outside the city’s service area. Gehring said her neighbors on the east side of U.S. 36 and Broadway, extending down to Jay Road were also notified that they too would soon lose water service.
According to A1 Discount Water’s website, the company serves Boulder, Evergreen and other areas along the Front Range by providing water in bulk for to fill water tanks, in-ground swimming pools, tanks for irrigation systems and tanks for grow house operations.
“We need a solution in a couple weeks or we will face drastic measures,” Gehring wrote in an email. “Mile Hi has not returned calls for a new customer. I don’t know how many customers A1 had, but we’re all scrambling. Can you imagine if you did not have any water? That could be many of those customers in a few more weeks.”
The email from Gerald Davis also said Boulder previously proposed A1 Discount Water make “a financial commitment equivalent to approximately our annual profit to modify and renovate the current fill station, while also limiting our use and refusing to guarantee access at least equivalent to the required financial commitment,” the email said. “Further, we have been working from one fill connection for several months while the water department has continuously delayed the repair of the second connection which was damaged and A1 agreed to reimburse these repairs. This results in significant daily delays as trucks wait to fill, which is a material financial hardship for A1.”
When asked about the claims, Joanna Bloom, Boulder deputy director of policy and planning for the utilities department, said the fill station that A1 uses in Boulder is in need of improvements such as a concrete pad and a catch basin to capture any overflow.
“Costs have yet to be defined,” Bloom said. “We are awaiting quotes during warmer months when costs are lower. When specific costs are known, the city proposes to share a portion of the costs between the city and the private water haulers and the city will work with providers to make this expense manageable.”
Bloom added that she is not aware of access restrictions at fill stations other than minor temporary restrictions when concrete is being poured.
Bloom could not say how many Boulder residents fall outside the city’s water service boundary, who may receive water from private businesses such as A1 or Mile Hi Water Company.
Francisco Bustamante, owner of Mile Hi, said calls from Boulder residents began pouring in early Monday morning. In about a day, Mile Hi picked up about 20 to 30 former A1 clients. Bustamante could not say how many customers his company has since signed on or how many more it will have the bandwidth to service.
Bloom said although there is only so much the city can do for residents that fall outside Boulder’s service area, it wants to be a resource for residents who A1 is terminating from service — even if its just to brainstorm who to call.
“I think we are somewhat limited to the support we can provide,” Bloom said.
Residents seeking additional support to find a new water provider can call the city utilities department at 303-441-3200.