Weld County advances cistern drinking-water ban for residences

Weld County commissioners approved on first reading an ordinance that would prohibit using cisterns to supply drinking water to residences.

The ordinance would also specify that the added cost of getting drinking water from a domestic well or public water system does not prove water is unavailable. A staff member said a request to use a cistern for an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, came in within the past month. The proposal would not apply to that request but would address future ones, the staff member said.

A state statute change required the county to address ADUs, the staff member said. The county has begun receiving requests to supply second dwellings with cisterns, the staff member said. Previously, it had not allowed cisterns for that use, the staff member said.

For a remote cabin where well water might be unavailable, “Cisterns are the way to go,” Commissioner Jason Maxey said, asking whether the change could have unintended consequences. The staff member said the proposal had some flexibility. A cabin like the one Maxey described might not count as a full-time residence, the staff member said.

Residential-well use and flow-rate calculations generally do not account for ADUs, another commissioner said. ADU-related demand could strain water systems and reduce flow rates for nearby residential wells, the commissioner warned. “I can see this getting abused,” the commissioner said, calling a work session vital because of unresolved issues.

The staff member said a work session would be set. Commissioners could use it to discuss the proposal. Who should issue cistern permits remains uncertain, the staff member said.