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History

History

Bow Water and Sanitation District is located in Arapahoe County, Colorado. The District, a political subdivision of the State of Colorado, is a Special District organized and created pursuant to the laws of the State of Colorado by decree of the District Court in Arapahoe County on December 22, 1951. It is a quasi-municipal corporation with the right to levy property taxes. The boundaries of the District encompass approximately .56 square miles located entirely within the Town of Bow Mar.

Bow Mar Water and Sanitation District is governed by a five member Board of Directors, who are taxpayers and/or residents of the District. They are elected by the property owners and residents of the District to serve four year terms. The Directors are responsible for establishing policies of the District and are responsible for operation of the District’s water and sanitary sewer facilities.
 

Bow Mar Water and Sanitation District was organized as a quasi-municipal government by Decree of the District Court in Arapahoe County in 1951. The District operates in accordance with Colorado laws pertaining to the formation, administration, and governance of special districts. As such, the District is governed by a five member board of directors elected by registered Colorado voters residing, or owning property, within the District.
 
In the mid 1980’s, in response to tremendous growth and the need for full time management and operation of the District’s expanding infrastructure, the Board considered a proposal from the adjacent Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District to perform administrative and maintenance services for Bow Mar. Rather than duplicate the services already being performed by Platte Canyon, the Bow Mar Board chose to execute an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Platte Canyon on December 4, 1986. Since that time, Platte Canyon has provided water and sanitary sewer operations and maintenance services and some select administrative services.
 
Bow Mar is at its full development. As the District’s infrastructure ages, greater emphasis has been placed on managing and maintaining existing facilities in prime working order. In addition, as these facilities age, Bow Mar has been confronted with the need to rehabilitate and replace older infrastructure to ensure the adequacy and reliability of water and wastewater services to all of its customers. Approximately 73 percent of the District’s water infrastructure has been replaced since 1986. Replacement projects were funded by the District’s property tax mill levy, service charges and a low interest loan from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority.

On July 20, 1961, Bow Mar signed a Master Meter Water Supply Agreement with Denver Water. Through this agreement, Denver Water is obligated to sell and the District is obligated to purchase potable water for distribution to the District's customers. Denver Water delivers potable water to the District through five master meters. Once the water reaches the District boundaries, Bow Mar becomes responsible for distribution to its customers.
 
The District is responsible for reading and billing all of its customers on a bi-monthly basis for water consumed. Water rates are established by the Bow Mar Board of Directors.

Bow Mar contracts with the City of Littleton, City of Englewood and Metro Water Recovery for wastewater treatment services.
 
When Bow Mar initially contracted for wastewater treatment with Littleton, the City owned a wastewater treatment plant at the northwest corner of W. Belleview Ave. and S. Santa Fe Dr. When the plant reached capacity in 1979, the City decided to contract with the City of Englewood to build a joint plant rather than expand its existing facility. The new plant was constructed near the South Platte River and W. Dartmouth Ave. Bow Mar agreed to continue to contract for treatment services with Littleton and signed a new agreement on July 26, 1983 to help pay for the new treatment plant and a large 54-inch pipeline to transport wastewater from Littleton, Bow Mar, and surrounding areas to the new plant.
 
Bow Mar also entered into a separate wastewater treatment agreement with the City of Englewood in 1985 because a portion of the District connected to a sewer main that ultimately connected to the Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant. That plant was abandoned when Englewood agreed to build a jointly owned and operated treatment plant with the City of Littleton in 1979.
 
Wastewater from another part of Bow Mar flows to the Metro Water Recovery District, the largest wastewater treatment agency in Colorado.
 
Each of the three treatment agencies bills Bow Mar for the customers they provide service to. Bow Mar then bills its customers in accordance with a uniform fixed rate schedule established by the Bow Mar Board of Directors.