First Quarter Newsletter 2026

Highlights of 2025

There were many accomplishments in 2025 that we would like to share with our customers:

·         The total water treated and delivered to our customers was 329,869,976 gallons which equates to 1,012.33 acre-feet.

·         The highest water usage month was in July with 42,392,300 gallons consumed by customers and the lowest usage month was November with 16,033,900 gallons consumed.  Customer usage, on average, was 2.64 times higher in July than in November of 2025.

·         The District completed well drilling for the replacement of its well 12 in south Woodmoor.  The well was completed in the Araphahoe Aquifer of the Denver Basin Aquifer system and is approximately 2,000 feet deep.    

·         The District continued its meter replacement program and as of the end of 2025, has replaced 3,632 meters or approximately 87% of the total meters system wide.  The District anticipates that by the end of 2026 it will complete this 5-year program. As a reminder, customers should be aware that the new metering system and AquaHawk customer portal provide significantly more tools for customers to use such as:

o    Setting up personalized notifications such as leak alerts

o    Viewing your water usage data in real time (data updated every 4 hours)

o    Viewing and paying your bill

o    Visit https://woodco.aquahawk.us/login for more information.    

·         As in previous years, the District remained aggressive toward renewal and replacement of components within the potable water distribution system.  The District replaced 116 customer water service saddle connections.  These service saddles allow water to be transported from the District’s main line into the customers’ service line and into the customers home and/or business.  The District also replaced several valves and fire hydrants. 

·         The District completed construction of a new 650,000 gallon water storage tank at its existing tank site in south Woodmoor.  The new tank strengthens the Districts ability to provide uninterrupted service as well as providing more reserve for fire fighting.

Looking Forward into the new year

We want to keep our customers informed and up to date on the various changes being made in the District and give some highlights of what to expect for 2026.   

As part of our annual financial planning, District staff along with our Rates Consultants perform several evaluations of our rates.  This year’s evaluation and guidance from the District’s Board of Directors yielded moderate rate increases for 2026.  Of course, inflation continues to be a factor in rate setting.  The following are highlights of the Board adopted rates for 2026:

Water Rates/Fees (2024):

Water Usage Fees –                                            Approximately 7% increase for all customers

Sewer Usage Fees –                                            5% increase for all customer classes

Water Tap Fees –                                               10% increase (new construction only)

Sewer Tap Fees –                                               3% increase (new construction only)

Renewable Water Investment Fee -                       No change from 2025

2026 New Construction

Although rates are a significant portion of the overall budgeting process, the District must continue to provide and improve services in order to meet its long term goals and objectives as well as meeting customer expectations. 

Below are some key projects that have been included in the 2026 budget:

·         Highway 105 B Utility relocation project –El Paso County continues to move forward with finalizing plans and start dates for the highway 105 widening effort to the east of Lake Woodmoor Drive in 2026 (Lake Woodmoor Drive to Martingale Road).  As with the first portion of this widening a few years back, some of the District’s utilities lines are going to be affected by the Phase B construction.  The District plans to relocate water and sewer lines in advance of Phase B construction.  Originally the project was to start construction in 2025, but due to several timing setbacks, it is now expected to commence in spring/summer of 2026.       

·         Well 23 Redrill – The District plans to complete the drilling of a new Arapahoe aquifer well in south Woodmoor located in the Monument Junction Subdivision west of Jackson Creek Parkway. 

·         The District continues to participate as a formal member of the Loop Water Authority, a coalition of water providers (Woodmoor, Town of Monument, and Donala Water and Sanitation District) that have come together to collaborate and further develop the Loop water project that will treat and transport Woodmoor’s renewable water (i.e. Ranch Water) to Woodmoor.  The Loop Project will allow the District to reduce its reliance on non-renewable groundwater and transition toward using its renewable surface water supplies.  Throughout 2026, the Loop Water Authority anticipates completing engineering design for the various system components consisting of an advanced water treatment facility, 5 pump stations, approximately 32 miles of pipeline and the enlargement of an existing surface water storage reservoir.         

·         Water Distribution System Renewal & Replacement -   The District plans to continue its water distribution renewal and replacement goals.  Targeting service connection saddle replacements (e.g. where a customer’s service line connects to the District’s main line), valves and fire hydrants as part of its ongoing water distribution system Renewal and Replacement (R&R) program. 

TextMyGov

We are pleased to announce the successful implementation and introduction of TextMyGov to our customers, a convenient and informative text messaging service that will enable us to contact our customers regarding important notifications such as emergency outages and other important information.  Please visit our website (www.woodmoorwater.com) and look toward the lower right-hand corner of our main web page for more information.  You can sign up and opt out at any time. 

“Flushable Wipes” – Please Don’t Flush Them!

We talk a lot about water, however, that’s not the only service that the District provides.  The District also collects and treats wastewater.  This service, often thought of as analogous to a computer program “running in the background” is just as vital to our community as water is.  The District dedicates trained personnel to the collection and treatment of wastewater just as it does the water system and there is one item we would like to bring to our customers’ attention, that is the issues related to flushing “flushable wipes”.  Although these products may provide consumer convenience and satisfaction, we believe corporate America has done a poor job of educating the consumer on the impacts these products have on our wastewater collection system and components.  Many advertising statements lead consumers to believe these products are harmless and they even go so far as to make statements like “sewer and septic system safe” or “plumber approved”.  While those statements may be true from a toxicity or inert materials perspective, they’re far from telling the whole story.  Many of these products don’t deteriorate and break down quickly like toilet paper and they tend to build up in our collection system and cause blockages or get bound up in our wastewater lift station pumps, causing failures.  These impacts are being imposed on backs of wastewater utilities and not being addressed by the corporations whose products are causing them.  These products cause unnecessary wear and tear on equipment, blockages (in both main lines and customer owned service lines) that back sewage up into homes and businesses requiring the utility or customer to spend additional money and manpower to address them.  While we’re only a “small fish in a big pond” when it comes to challenging large corporations, that doesn’t mean we can’t advise our community on the impacts we have observed from the use of these products and ask our customers dispose of these products in their household trash or in other appropriate ways instead of flushing them down the water closet.  We thank you in advance for your assistance.         

we want your feedback

Your feedback is important to us as it provides the District with useful information needed in order to improve our services.  We continue to appreciate your ideas and suggestions that help us to better communicate with our customers and to keep our customers connected with District business.  Please submit your feedback to Jessies@woodmoorwater.com or contact us through our website at www.woodmoorwater.com.