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IGNACIO \u2013 Farmers Fresh Market in Ignacio has been giving out free water from a filling station inside the store to help residents with poor water quality.<\/p>\n
Residents in southeast La Plata County are used to poor water quality, whether it\u2019s the rust smell, the mineral buildup on kitchen appliances or concerns about the impacts of oil and gas operations in the area. They\u2019re used to hauling, filling jugs and paying for drinking water, and the market\u2019s free filling station is a convenient resource. With water rates set to increase, market management expects the free water program to continue.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe figured out the water costs something around a penny a gallon for us, so we\u2019ll continue to give water,\u201d said Amos Lee, general manager at Farmers Fresh.<\/p>\n
The Southern Ute Utilities Division, which operates the town\u2019s water treatment facility, is increasing its monthly drinking water rates<\/a> from $32.80 per 8,000 gallons to $47.80 per 6,000 gallons, a 94% increase. Rates will continue to rise over coming years, according to a Southern Ute Indian Tribe news release.<\/p>\n The town of Ignacio also charges customers for operating and administrative costs. Those rates could increase in 2020 depending on how much water ratepayers use<\/a>.<\/p>\n At several board meetings, the town board of trustees and community members have questioned the impact the increases will have on businesses and economic growth in the community.<\/p>\n Lee even gets his own water from the store. Like others in the area, his well is decent enough for some uses, but he prefers to get drinking water from the store \u2013 especially because the town\u2019s water comes through a high-quality water treatment plant operated by the tribe.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really a Cadillac system. Maybe more than this community needs,\u201d Lee said. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to pay for the cost of it by raising the rates. It\u2019s not a lot of population here to spread those costs out.\u201d<\/p>\n Multiple residents come into the local grocer every day to get free water. Four customers Tuesday said they come in multiple times a week. They use it for drinking and cooking, to avoid rusty smelling water, or to stop mineral buildup in kitchen appliances that require water.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty much everyone in this part of the county doesn\u2019t have good groundwater,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n Because of local geology, a small but significant percentage of wells throughout La Plata and Archuleta counties have issues with contamination from metals and other minerals, according to San Juan Basin Public Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n Blake Mamich, who lives outside Ignacio, depended more on the free water service in 2018 when the drought decreased his well\u2019s output.<\/p>\n John Serrano, a resident near Allison, doesn\u2019t trust his water with oil and gas operations around.<\/p>\n \u201cYour well is 300 feet. They\u2019ll drill 1,000 feet, you know?\u201d Serrano said. \u201cYou know they\u2019re tapping into your stream because there\u2019s underground rivers.\u201d<\/p>\n Private well owners are responsible for testing their wells because the federal Safe Drinking Water Act does not apply to private wells, SJBPH said. Owners might need to test for volatile organic compounds if they are near oil and gas sites, fluoride if they are in the Pine River Valley, and other contaminants like arsenic, lead and coliform bacteria.<\/p>\n Similar water stations at grocery stores charge for each gallon of water; the fact that water from Farmers Fresh is free makes a noticeable financial difference over time. It\u2019s a convenient service customers hope to see continue.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a way, it\u2019s a big help because they could be charging for it, like in Durango,\u201d Serrano said.<\/p>\n The free water program also helps draw in customers to the local grocer and away from companies like Kroger and Walmart, which have \u201ctremendous buying power,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything we can do to bring people in the stores is beneficial. In the case of water, it\u2019s a cheap thing to do,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n