Serving PAWSD Customers

Welcome!  I’m Alex Boehmer, currently serving on the PAWSD Board of Directors as the Board Treasurer.

I’m a 2012 Pagosa Springs High School graduate, husband, father, and former volunteer firefighter. As a father to two young children, I am passionate about our community and ensuring its security for future generations to enjoy. I was appointed to the Board of Directors in October of 2024 and have worked, in that short time, to cut rate increases, develop plans for future water security, eliminate district debt related to the unnecessary Dry Gulch Project, and ensure the usability of our hydrants for fire protection.

I have always put you, the ratepayer, first… and pledge to continue to protect your monthly bill and take diverse and cost-effective measures to ensure our future.

Protecting Customers Rates
As Treasurer of the Board of Directors, I used my first months in office to address a scheduled 30% increase to our customers’ water rates. I was able, with assistance, to reduce this rate increase to 10%. I pledge to continue keeping our customers’ rates as low as possible while still complying with our Mission Statement and Federal/State mandates.

PAWSD money is your money, and I will ensure that your money is spent in a way that is justifiable and beneficial to you.

Cooperation for Fire Protection
Due to my experience as a volunteer firefighter with the PFPD, losing a home to a fire, and my understanding of our existing fire protection infrastructure, I understand the threat our community faces. Fire hydrant testing has been neglected for years. In early January I began speaking with local leaders on how we can begin to test our hydrants and ensure their functionality for the safety of our community.

Community cooperation is necessary to combat the inevitable threat of wildfire. I will continue to try and find cooperation between local government and civilian organizations to ensure we have a strong and coordinated response to fires in our area.

Dry Gulch Reservoir
The Dry Gulch Reservoir, a boondoggle fraudulently imposed on PAWSD customers,  imposed an unfortunate and unnecessary burden on PAWSD ratepayers. The studies used to justify the need for this project were deeply flawed. This project was created and formalized in 2008, with a modified agreement taking affect in 2015. Since then, the district charged with completing the project — San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) — has raised $0 for construction of a reservoir that might cost close to half a billion dollars.

In the graph below, the red line shows the “projected water demand” as estimated in 2007 by a Durango engineer.  The blue line shows the actual water sales — the actual water demand — through 2022.

PAWSD customers have done an amazing job of conserving our water resources, and deserve to have the Dry Gulch financial burden lifted from their shoulders.

This reservoir is not necessary and is unlikely to receive the grants needed to make the project feasible.  PAWSD customers pay in excess of $250,000 per year towards the debt on a property that is not beneficial to you. This money is better spent addressing leaks and building a diverse, affordable, and sustainable future for the District. There are many options available to the District to improve the stability of our water supply for the future that do not involve the extreme expenses of Dry Gulch.

Currently Lake Hatcher (880 acre ft) provides most of “Uptown Pagosa’s” water. Stevens Lake Reservoir has, at full capacity, 1730 acre ft of usable water, but the pipeline to connect Stevens to Hatcher does not yet exist. Given the short distance between the two lakes, a pipeline to connect the two — and nearly triple the capacity of Lake Hatcher — is a far more reasonable and cost-effective option than a new reservoir. This plan also provides stability for the water levels at Lake Hatcher.

Tackling water loss
Water loss is a serious issue in our community. With hundreds of miles of water lines, aging and improperly installed, PAWSD must find solutions to address this issue. Our current plan involves satellite imagery to help discover leaks. The money from the sale of the Dry Gulch Reservoir property should be used, upon sale of the property, to fund line replacement of critical areas where leaks have continuously occurred.