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Water troubles continue Buffalo Creek system can't afford new line By Stacie Oulton Denver Post Staff Writer " BUFFALO CREEK - Restoring wac ter to this flood-ravaged community faces serious hurdles because the anti- quated water system is owned hy a pri. vate company that can't afford to re- place the line. Donald Smith, chairman of the Buffa. 10 Park Association, which owns the sys. tern, estimated yesterday that it will cost between $150,000 and $200,000 to replace the line that was washed out in last week's flash flood, The Jefferson County Emergency Services Department and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, which pro- vides assistance to cities and counties, met yesterday with officials of the asso- ciation to discuss the situation, but there aren't many options because the system isn't eligible for government assistance. "They are operating on a shoestring," Smith said of the 'company, "They can't afford to put in" the line, "Nobody is go. ing to give money to a group of citizens or to a private water company." Smith, a retired state Court of Ap- peals judge, said one option might be to have the county commissioners create a water district through a resolution. State and federal agencies then might be more inclined to provide money to replace the line since funds would be go- ing to another governmental agency, he noted. He -and other residents had been working on creating a water district, but that requires an election, and taxes wouldn't be available to spend on the line until two years after the vote, The a&;ociation, comprised of seven or eight local stockholders, operates the 100.year.old spring.fed system that pro. vided water to 96 active taps. Please see WATER on 28 The Denver Post { Helen Dave Rainey, president of the Buffalo Park Association, the private compan~ plying water to 96 Buffalo Creek homes, surveys the damage to the water sy Lines were destroyed or silled from the flood.