Dove Creek to begin water system switch to chloramine on July 13

Dove Creek will begin routing its drinking water through Montezuma Water Company on July 13, replacing treatment at the town plant with treated water supplied from outside the system and changing the disinfectant from chlorine to chloramine. The transition will take several weeks as crews adjust the distribution system and continue water-quality monitoring.

Residents may notice temporary changes in taste, odor, color or sediment while lines stabilize. If discoloration continues after flushing household lines, contact Town Hall. The switch affects the county seat of Dolores County, a town incorporated on July 10, 1939, with about 700 people living inside the limits.

Operators should check equipment that depends on stable water quality before the transition begins. That includes ice machines, beverage dispensers, coffee systems, restaurant equipment, filtration systems, softeners, boilers, dishwashers, cooling systems and medical or laboratory equipment. Dialysis providers were also told to confirm that their treatment protocols are appropriate for chloraminated water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says dialysis centers must remove both chlorine and chloramine before water is used for dialysis.

In June, the town board voted unanimously to switch from the Dolores Water Conservancy District to Montezuma Water Company under a five-year contract, after a state enforcement order pushed the issue forward. That move followed a price dispute that stirred anger among some residents and led to threats serious enough to close Town Hall. Updates will continue through Town Hall notices, text alerts and email as the transition proceeds.

Montezuma Water Company has used chloramines in the Dove Creek portion of its system since 2004, and the company says that change reduced total trihalomethanes by as much as 47%. Montezuma Water Company is a member-owned, not-for-profit drinking-water provider serving more than 5,000 members across three Southwest Colorado counties and has completed 66 miles of mainline work in the Dove Creek and Egnar area.