How Does Niwot Work? - Part 19

Early farmers in the Niwot area relied upon wells and cisterns for a domestic water supply, as did the residents of Old Town Niwot. In 1960, as Colorado's population began to increase, they looked for a better system to supply potable water to the area.

Because Niwot was unincorporated, there was no municipal water system, so farmers and residents formed the Left Hand Domestic Water Users Association, an unincorporated association and sought a $1.25 million loan from the FHA to finance the treatment plant and distribution system. But since the maximum loan amount was only $250,000, according to the Left Hand Water District website, five separate associations were formed, each for the purpose of applying for the maximum loan. Before the loans were obtained, however, the FHA increased its loan limit to $1 million.

After the loan limit increased, the five associations – Altona, Beasley, Niwot, St. Vrain and Rinn Valley Water Users Associations - reorganized into the Left Hand Consolidated Water Company in 1961, which was to build and maintain the water system. Initial directors included many names linked to Niwot's history -- Maurice Lefever, LeRoy Schlagel, Alva Dodd, James Johnston, Hector DeBruyne, Fred Brown, Joe Meglemre, Warren Knutson, Gilbert Dalpra and A.C. Sheley, each of whom legibly signed the Articles of Incorporation which can be found on the Colorado Secretary of State's website.

In 1960, another organization, the Left Hand Land and Water Company, was incorporated to "obtain land for the construction of the water filter plant, reservoirs, and transmission lines," in Boulder and Weld counties, according to the website. The initial board of directors of the company included many of the same names -- Leonard Corsentino, Leonard Leukonen, William Kennedy, A.C. Sheley, Earl Anderson, Alva Dodd, Hector DeBruyne, Joe Meglemre, Fred Brown and J.P. Camenisch.

According to the district's website, "The founders of the system then set about obtaining the 650 members necessary to close on the new loans to finance the system."

In 1963, the Left Hand Land and Water Company became the Left Hand Water Supply Company, and several other rural areas were added to its service area from eastern Boulder County and southwestern Weld County. By 1968, the other companies had merged into the Left Hand Water Supply Company, and for many years its offices were located in the building in Niwot now occupied by Bank of the West.

In 1990, the members of the Left Hand Water Supply Company, on the recommendation of the board of directors, approved the formation of a quasi-municipal corporation governed by Colorado's special district laws, and the Left Hand Water Supply Company became the Left Hand Water District. The change gave the district the authority to levy taxes, impose liens for non-payment of dues, and assess tap fees, as well as other powers granted to governmental agencies.

Today the district's boundaries extend west just past foothills highway, south to include Gunbarrel Estates and as far as Arapahoe Avenue east of Boulder, east to I25, and north to Highway 119, serving essentially the unincorporated areas between Boulder, Longmont and Erie. A map is available on the district's website at http://www.lefthandwater.org. According to the website, approximately 85% of customer accounts are single-family residential, with commercial, multi-family and master community accounts making up the other 15%.

The district moved its offices from downtown Niwot to 6800 Nimbus Road in 1994. Although the district has taxing powers, it relies on user fees and tap fees to fund operations as well as capital improvements. The current board of directors, with members elected by district property owners to four-year terms, consists of Julie Trumpler (president) of Gunbarrel Road, Mark Hochhauser (vice-president) of Robin Drive, Dan Lisco (secretary) of Jay Road, Sam Barnsley (treasurer) of East County Line Road, Alan Pratt of Heather Way, Jim Richard of N. 73rd Street and Bart Fischer of County Line Road 1.