Drought, new reservoir make water hauling pricey in Huerfano County
Wells are running dry in Huerfano County and an ongoing drought has plagued the county for years, but new water restrictions are making it even more difficult for neighbors to fill their wells.
According to David Harriman, the public works director for the city of Walsenburg, Huerfano County has been battling this drought since 2002. To make things even worse, the Spring Fire earlier this year left ash behind, polluting some of the water.
Harold Infante has lived in his rural house for the last 15 years; just a couple of months ago, his well ran dry for the first time.
“It’s been in existence since this house has been here, and this house has been here since 1960,” Infante said. “You don’t realize how much water you use until you don’t have it.”
And because this well has gone completely dry, Harold has had to come up with alternative options.
“We went and purchased [a water tank] from a friend and it is full of water. It holds 500 gallons and it takes one week for us to go through 500 gallons, which is very conservative,” Infante said.
But there’s a catch: Infante can only fill his tank in Walsenburg, and only if he pays.
“The water haul is for customers who are outside the city limits,” Harriman said. “We have 81089 and a 10-mile radius for water haul customers, and they’re limited to 3,600 gallons a month.
Those regulations are part of the city’s new water restrictions, so using the water haul requires a permit and has a $175 price tag, which Harold says he can’t afford.
“I’m a veteran, I only get so much money a month,” said Harold.
As for the future, Harold says it could come down to them packing up their belongings and finding somewhere new to live.
Harriman says the drought has affected the level of the reservoirs, but the reasoning for the new water restrictions isn’t because of the drought. Harriman says it’s because the city of Walsenburg is building a brand new reservoir, which will open next September.
