Latest News

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 06:52:20 +0000

Alan Hamel to Retire – by Paul Fanning

Alan Hamel, the Board's Executive Director, has announced he will retire this year. He has served as the Board's top leader since 1982 and will step down from the job at the end of August.

While leading the Board of Water Works to become one of Colorado's premiere water utilities, Alan has promoted a culture of excellence in operations and customer satisfaction. He is regarded as one of the state's foremost authorities in water matters and is in demand as a member and leader of numerous organizations, including the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Arkansas Basin Roundtable, Colorado Foundation for Water Education and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

Alan has been honored with virtually every accolade in Colorado's water community including the Aspinall Water Leader of the Year award, the state's highest honor for water professionals, as well as national awards.

He has worked for the Board in one capacity or another for more than 51 years, an almost unheard-of tenure in any organization.

His employment history includes:

• Began as a summer helper at the Board of Water Works during the summers of 1960 and 1961

• Attained full time employment in 1962 as a pump station operator

• Was promoted to his first management position in 1969

• Held various management positions until September 1982

• Appointed to present position of Executive Director in September of 1982.

"The finest legacy anyone can create is that the organization they serve continues with no major disruption when they leave it," Hamel says. "I feel sure the fine leadership team and dedicated professional employees working for the Board of Water Works will not just preserve our fine history of service, but will move on to even greater accomplishments in the future."

The Board established a workforce plan which prepares employees to assume new or vacant positions and consistent with this plan the Board shall consider the appointment of Terry Book, Deputy Executive Director, to succeed Hamel as Executive Director at its February 21, 2012 meeting. Terry has worked for the Board for more than 33 years and has held various senior leadership positions.

Here is a list of just some of Alan’s extraordinary professional and community service:

• Colorado Water Conservation Board- Appointment by Governor John Hickenlooper 2011-2014

• Front Range Water Council

• Colorado Foundation for Water Education- 2006 - Current- Board member and Treasurer

• Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District (1988-2004) Past President, Current Advisory Board Member

• Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo Authority 2000-current Current Vice-Chair

• Statewide Water Supply Initiative Committee Member

• Arkansas Basin Roundtable Committee Member - Legislative Appointee 2005-2015 - Immediate Past Chair

• Interbasin Compact Committee Member- 2005-2008 Vice Chair

• Pueblo Economic Development Corporation 1993-current Ex-Officio Board Member

• Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo Commission (1994-2001) Past Chair

• American Water Works Association lifetime member, George Warren Fuller Awardee 2003

• Rocky Mountain Section AWWA (1991-1996) Council Member, Trustee

• Kiwanis Club of Colorado Past President and senior member

• Colorado Water Congress 1982-current

• Chamber of Commerce Legislative Barbecue Committee (1992-1996)

• Appointments by Government Romer

Colorado Water Conservation Board (1995-1999), Vice Chair (1998-1999)

Colorado Water Resources Power Development Authority (1993-1997)

Front Range Water Forum & Arkansas River Coordinating Committee (1995-1996)

Automated Meter Reading Upgrade

The Board of Water Works of Pueblo (the Board) continues to replace existing water meters with new meters that utilize Automated Meter Reading (AMR).

In the past, Pueblo water customers’ consumption was measured by the traditional process of meter readers looking at each meter in the system and entering the data. With AMR technology, each of the new meters includes a sealed, battery-powered data transponder that periodically sends meter data to one of sixteen data collection units located throughout the covered areas. These solar-powered collectors then send the data to the central computer for billing, customer service, and field services.{showhide parameter1="value1" boolparameter1=true boolparameter2=false}

The AMR upgrade program began in the spring of 2008, and will take a total of ten years to upgrade all 40,191 meters in the system. 18,078 have been converted during the first three years of the program, and another4,000 will be installed during 2011.

“This upgrade has enhanced service to our customers and increased the efficiency of our operations,” says Ric Esgar, Field Services Manager. “For example, we can obtain a final read for a customer almost instantaneously without sending an employee across town to manually read the meter. Also, if a customer senses high or low consumption from their bill we can poll their meter from our central office to detect any change in usage that might indicate a problem.”

The conversion to AMR will not cost anyone their job. "The Board's Meter Readers work hard reading all of Pueblo's water meters once a month," explains Danny Golob, Meter Services Supervisor. "The AMR system will keep this task manageable as the Board's service area continues to grow, with meter readers still needed until the entire system is completely automated. By that time, meter readers will have changed duties, some of them maintaining the AMR system."

Meter replacements are being done at no cost to water customers by employees of the Board of Water Works. These employees will wear identification badges and their vehicles will display company identification, as work on the AMR conversion takes place Monday through Friday each week between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Since a brief interruption of water service may occur at a property as its meter is being replaced, customers will be notified individually when work at their particular address is to take place. Notification will be provided both as a phone call and as an informational door hanger.

For additional information, contact Ric Esgar, Field Services Manager, at 584-0245.{/showhide}

Pueblo’s Water Works for You.

Your Board of Water Works has invested in a sound water system for the citizens of Pueblo - a system that meets today’s ever-changing demands, produces excellent quality drinking water at a reasonable cost, and remains prepared to serve the needs of Pueblo’s families and businesses now and in the future. To continue to accomplish these goals and meet its commitments, our water utility must remain in sound financial shape. In order to do so, the Board of Directors has approved increases in rates and charges for 2012 totalling 3.5%.

What does this mean?

For The Customer With 3/4” Service

The volume charge per 1,000 gallons will increase by 8 cents, to $2.29.
The monthly minimum charge, which includes 2,000 gallons of water, will increase by 34 cents to $9.98 (varies by meter size).
The average residential customer’s water bill will increase $1.06 per month to $30.59, and is the lowest among Colorado’s major front range cities.
For the average household, water will cost less than a nickel per day more in 2012 than it did in 2011 - a small price to pay for life’s most precious resource.
No one expects prices on anything to go down, but Pueblo’s water rates remain among the very lowest of any Colorado city.

Board of Water Works of Pueblo, Colorado

Water Rates - Effective January, 2012 Billing

I. Minimum monthly charge - includes up to 2000 gallons

Meter Size Inside City Outside City

3/4” $9.98 $14.97

1” $12.75 $19.13

1 - 1/2” $21.22 $31.82

2” $33.95 $50.91

3” $63.97 $95.53

4” $96.19 $143.22

6” $159.09 $238.65

8” $212.18 $318.29

II. Rate per 1000 gallons Inside City Outside City

0-2000 gallons Minimum Minimum

All over 2000 gallons $2.29 $3.44

III. Multiple dwelling units

First unit Minimum Minimum

Each additional unit $5.51 $8.29

Over 2000 gallons $2.29 $3.44

(per 1000 gallons) (per 1000 gallons)

IV. Water Dispensing Station

Minimum (0-2000 gallons) $9.98

All over 2000 gallons $3.44

(per 1000 gallons)

E-Billing is Here!

You may now sign up to receive your bill from the Board of Water Works by email. For two months after you sign up for e-billing, you’ll receive both an e-bill via email and your paper bill via postal mail. After that, the paper billing will stop and you can enjoy the paperless convenience of e-billing. You may continue to pay your bill by any of our convenient payment methods – by mail, over the phone, online, or in person.
Call the number below for more details.

Coming soon: Budget Billing

The Board of Water Works is excited to offer Budget Billing to customers this coming April.
With Budget Billing, your water bills will be averaged over the entire year, so that you pay one consistent amount each month, rather than paying for each month’s specific usage. This way, you can more easily budget for your family’s water bill payment.
Although the program will not begin until April, please contact a Customer Service Representative now to sign up.
Call the number below for more details.

Questions? Call 584-0203

Wastewater Adjustment Program

If you would like to water your landscaping during the wastewater adjustement period or if you experience a leak in your home's water system that results in higher water use than is normal for the winter period, you can file for an adjustment.

Important Notice Regarding City of Pueblo Sewer User Charge

Click HERE to find out how it works.

Board Boosts CARES Funding

At its September meeting, the Board voted to add $20,000 to the Customer Assistance Referral and Evaluation Service (CARES Program) fund. The fund provides assistance in paying water bills to families in financial distress. Finance Manager Seth Clayton had informed the Board that the program was in danger of running out of funds before the end of the year when he said, “By the end of August, we had helped 646 families. That’s close to the total number for all of 2010. There was a huge demand for assistance at the end of the summer, as school was starting.”

The CARES fund is administered by Catholic Charities, but largely funded by the water board through United Way corporate contributions. The board has put $65,000 in the fund so far this year, and board employees have contributed another $768. Payments by the end of August totaled more than $54,000, plus an administrative fee of $3,500 to Catholic Charities.

The fund was started in 2008 after community leaders urged the board to help families experiencing financial hardships avoid water service interruptions. Employees may enroll to make contributions specifically to the CARES fund through payroll deduction.

Project Updates

McCabe-Reservoir-Prairie - PN 105117

KR Swerdfeger Construction has finished installing a new water main on Prairie Avenue from McClelland Avenue to Carlile Avenue. The contractor will continue down Reservoir Drive to the Board of Water Works McCabe Pump Station. Pavement that has been removed in the area is being replaced as weather allows.

Highway 96 West, 5400-5600 Blocks, Main Renewal - PN 105113

This project has been awarded to C&C Specialty Excavating to include replacing 2500 feet of existing main by means of directional drilling and installing a new 12” HDPE Pipe. Work is scheduled to begin within the next month and may result in some traffic delays on the way to and from the Pueblo Reservoir south entrance during construction.

Reno Avenue, 1800-1900 Block - PN 115112

Board of Water Works’ crews are installing a new 8” PVC Main in Reno Avenue from Mirror Avenue to Palmer Avenue in advance of the City of Pueblo’s project at Lake Minnequa and street improvements for Reno Avenue. The Board’s portion of this project is scheduled to be completed in a few weeks.

The Water Resource Division is working on a project that will add to the capacity of the overflow discharge at our Clear Creek Dam. The project will use large concrete blocks to contain the overflow from the spillway on the southern portion of the dam.

Vital Blue - Vital to Pueblo's History

The Board of Water Works’ exhibit is now open to the public at the Southeastern Colorado Heritage Center at 201 West B Street, across from the Union Depot. The exhibit provides a glimpse into the history of the Board of Water Works and our precious commodity, Vital Blue.

Almost every department of the Water Works is showcased in this exhibit - from pre-1970s meter reading books, accounting ledgers and fire hydrants that had to be dug up from the ground to meters, a wooden main, photos and articles that tell the story of our utility.

The exhibit features a special piece of Board history, an old wooden main. There is a picture above the main that shows the day the main broke. The conditions were so cold that nearby trees and cars were completely frozen. Residents had to be removed from their homes and housed in hotels until the repairs could be made and water service restored. This main break is one of the most devastating in the Board’s history. Want to find out more? Please visit the museum!

Pillars of Pueblo

By Jeanette O'Quin

I had the honor of participating in the Greater Chamber of Commerce Leadership Pueblo Class of 2011. Our class quickly bonded during an overnight retreat early in January and established our class brand as the Pillars of Pueblo. If you are not familiar with Leadership Pueblo, each year participants have the opportunity to develop their networking and leadership skills while gaining a better understanding of government, health and human services, arts and media, judicial systems, education, non-profits and our community. In addition, as a condition of graduation, each class is required to plan and implement a project designed to benefit the community.

The Class of 2011 voted and approved a project proposal in partnership with Steven Meier, Principal Planner for the City of Pueblo. The proposal envisioned an urban rock climbing area and establishment of “Pillars Park” located near the Arkansas River White Water Kayak Park between the West 4th Street and Union Avenue bridges. This positive recreational venue was recommended as a potential capital improvement initiative along the Arkansas River corridor. Pillars Park was envisioned as an attractive, clean, and accessible location for all age groups, providing healthy, memorable experiences and improving the quality of life in our community. Approval from the Pueblo Conservancy District and the City of Pueblo Parks Committee, as well as ensuring proper risk management protection, were just a few of the required “climbs” to overcome early in the process. Earlier this spring class members participated in a clean-up day at the site and hosted a golf tournament to raise funds. Hands-on sweat equity by class members also included the installment of multiple stone benches and picnic tables and applying graffiti-resistant coating.

The Pillars of Pueblo initiative has provided an opportunity to build partnerships among over 75 business leaders in our community who also support recreational opportunities for a healthy, vibrant community. Classmates brought in over $35,000 in cash and in-kind support from local government, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals. The park’s two 18-ton natural rock climbing boulders were delivered from Cortez, Colorado and installed with heavy equipment provided by Industrial Constructors/Managers and Gary’s Crane Service, following site preparation provided by Southside Lawn and Landscaping. A ribbon cutting event was held on 9/29/2011 at the new Pillars Park.

Our class vision to attract visitors to the Arkansas River Trail and White Water Kayak Park as a destination attraction will provide the foundation for another economic opportunity for Pueblo, as well as an outdoor recreational activity for the citizens of Pueblo. This rock climbing and bouldering experience in the center of town will provide numerous future opportunities for our community, while supporting other activities offered along the Arkansas River trail such as kayaking, biking, picnicking, fishing, jogging, walking and hiking.

A vision has become a reality. Thank you to the Board for being a major contributor to this project.

Take the family and go check it out!

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