Where does Cherokee
get its water?
Our water comes from eighteen municipal
wells located in the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin. Nine
wells are located approximately ten miles north of Ellicott.
Currently, eight of these wells are not being used for out of basin
use (most of Cherokee's customer base lays outside the basin)
due to a court ruling limiting their use. The remaining
nine wells are located ten miles south of Ellicott and currently
provide all water for the District. All of the wells pump
water from an alluvial aquifer located 150 - 200 feet below
the ground. Through natural filtering processes the water
has been purified and meets safe drinking water standards. Return to top.
Why are there water restrictions if
there has been so much precipitation lately?
Our current
water restrictions are not due to drought or the level of precipitation
received. Restrictions have been implemented due to a court
ruling limiting the use of eight of our seventeen supply wells.
These eight wells account for 40% of our total water supply.
To ensure that our customers have an adequate supply, we have
implemented water restrictions to control water usage from the
remaining nine wells. Return to top.
Does Cherokee have enough water?
Yes, by carefully monitoring and controlling
the use of water from our nine southern wells, we can provide
an adequate supply to our customers. Return
to top.
Why did our rates increase again? Despite our best efforts to anticipate and forecast future costs and economic conditions, rate increases are necessary to keep up with changing times. Some of the challenges impacting the District and creating the need for recent rate increases are:
Return to top.
Key Factors
- Meeting the minimum requirements for our current outstanding bonds
- Loss of tap fee income
- Loss of water rights and purchasing short term water supplies
- Click here for letter from Sean Chambers, General Manager with more.
Water
- Funding several water resource acquisitions in 2010
- Cherokee leased 500 acre feet of water from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) in 2009. A new 2010 lease agreement increases the amount of water available from 500 to 1,000 acre feet but also increases the cost from $1,100 to over $3,000 per acre foot
- Leasing a minimum of 500 acre feet of water from CSU at a cost of $1.8 million to maintain current service levels
- The Board of Directors does not want to impose additional conservation measures, as they consider Stage 2 the minimum level needed to maintain property values and a quality standard of living
- Although a stay of enforcement was granted for supply wells 14-17, the timing and final decision of the Colorado Supreme Court will impact our available water supply. An adverse decision will require us to lease the additional 500 acre feet from CSU to offset production loss
- Investing in the replacement and rehabilitation of aging infrastructure to ensure a safe and dependable water supply
Wastewater
- Increasing our workforce to oversee facility operations at the new Cherokee Metropolitan District Water Reclamation Facility
- A significant increase in operational expenses associated with running a mechanical wastewater treatment facility. Return to top.
Can I attend Board meetings?
Yes, we encourage our customers to attend
Board meetings to learn more about our organization. Meetings
are held at our office the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30
p.m. Return to top.
How do I sign up for service?
Renters (businesses included) are required
to visit our office to sign up for service. You will need to
fill out a short application and provide a $100.00 deposit.
Customers who are owners or purchasing
the property to be serviced simply need to call our office to
sign up for service. Return to top.
I am buying a home in your District.
Do I need to pay a deposit?
No, only renters are required to pay the
$100.00 deposit to activate service. Return
to top.
If I am a renting a home in your District,
why do I have to pay a $100.00 deposit?
The deposit is used to help pay for your
final bill once you terminate service with Cherokee. Your deposit
will accrue interest until you final your account. Return
to top.
Is the deposit refundable?
Yes, your deposit and the accrued interest
will be applied to your final bill. Return
to top.
How much notice is required to sign
up for service?
Cherokee requires at least
24 hours advanced notice to activate new service.
Return to top.
I moved into my home this weekend
and have no water.
How do I get my water on?
To ensure that your water service is on
before you move in, please contact our office during business
hours to establish service. However, if you are not able to
do so or if you consider it to be an emergency, call 597-5080
and our answering service will contact our on-call service technician
to assist you. Per our policy the water will not be turned on
until the following day. For example: If you call on a Friday
night at 9:00 p.m., your water will not be turned on until Saturday
morning. All new customers must fill out the customer information form provided. Renters will need to pay the service technician the
$100.00 deposit to activate service. Return
to top.
How do I terminate service?
Cherokee requires at least 24 hours advanced
notice to terminate service. To close your account simply call
our office and provide the requested information, including
your desired termination date. (Note: Final readings are taken
only Monday - Friday.) Return to top.
Can services be automatically transferred
back to the owner?
No, we require the individual requesting
service to contact our office to activate a new account. Return
to top.
Why is my residential water bill $45.18,
but I didn't use any water?
Provided service has a base charge of $45.18 per month. This includes a $30.00 Wastewater Charge, an $14.00 Availability Charge and a $1.18 Street Light Charge. If you have an active account with Cherokee and use no water, you will still be charged $45.18 each month.
.
Return to top.
What is the Availability Charge?
This charge covers the portion of fixed expenses incurred each month regardless of the amount of water used. Return to top.
Do you offer utility bill payment assistance?
Cherokee does not currently offer any payment assistance programs. Please contact the United Way at 2-1-1 or visit www.ppunitedway.org to determine if you qualify for financial assistance. Return to top.
I moved but I am still receiving a
bill, why is this?
If you have moved out of the District and
are still receiving a bill, you most likely did not contact
our office to terminate services. You will be responsible for
any balance owing until you request a final reading to deactivate
your account. Return to top.
What forms of payment can I use to
pay my bill?
We accept checks and money order payments
via mail. Payments can also be made at our office using checks,
money orders, cash or credit/debit cards (Visa, MasterCard and
Discover). We also accept credit/debit card payments over the
phone with a $4.00 transaction fee. Cherokee is also in the process of setting up E-pay and E-statement to allow customers to view their bill and pay through a 3rd party vendor on the Cherokee WEB page (cherokeemetro.org). The District hopes to have this method of payment available by mid-April, 2011. Return
to top.
Why do you charge a $4.00 transaction
fee for credit/debit card payments over the phone?
This is a convenience charge to cover expenses associated
with credit card fees billed to Cherokee. Return
to top.
When will I be able to pay my bill
online?
Cherokee is currently working on the setup of E-pay and E-statement to allow customers to view their bill and pay through a 3rd party vendor on the Cherokee WEB page (cherokeemetro.org). The District hopes to have this method of payment available by mid-April, 2011. Return to top.
Do you have any drop boxes available
in town to drop off payments?
Yes, we have one 24 hour drop box located
on the west end of our building located at 6250 Palmer Park
Blvd. (Note: Please do not place cash in the drop box, we are
not responsible for any loss). Return to top.
Why was my water turned off when I
have until 5:00 p.m. on the disconnect date to pay my bill?
Disconnections begin at 8:00 a.m. on the
disconnect date. If we have not received your payment by 8:00
a.m., your water will be turned off between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00
p.m. on the disconnect date shown on your notice. Beginning December 1, 2010, Cherokee charges a $25.00 Disconnect Trip Fee. This fee applies to any customer that is on our disconnect list at the time the operators are sent out to turn services off for non-pay (8:00 a.m. morning of disconnect). If customers make payment arrangements or payments prior to the 8:00 a.m. time, the fee will not be charged to the account. The re-connect fee of $25.00 or $45.00 will apply if water service is terminated. Return
to top.
Why was my water turned off if I
haven't received a bill?
Unfortunately, we cannot control the U.S. Postal Service and it’s ultimately the customer’s responsibility to contact the office if monthly statements are not received. If your bill doesn’t arrive when expected, please contact our office, as customer service representatives are available to verify your billing address and any balance due. Return to top.
Are there any fees to have my service
reconnected due to a disconnection?
Yes, you will be required to pay your full
balance owing plus a $25.00 reconnect fee during business hours
(Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) to reconnect services.
If it is after hours, a weekend or a holiday, you will be required
to pay the full balance plus a $45.00 reconnect fee. Return
to top.
Why do you charge a reconnect fee
to turn my water back on?
The reconnect fee covers labor and travel
expenses associated with the disconnection and reconnection
of your service. Return to top.
It's after hours and I have an emergency.
What should I do?
Immediately call 597-5080 to contact our
answering service, they will relay a message to our on call
service technician. Our service technician will contact you
to address your emergency. Return to top.
I noticed a street light that is out
or not working properly. How can I get it fixed?
Contact our office at 597-5080 to describe
the problem you are experiencing and the street light location.
We will contact Mountain View Electric or Colorado Springs Utilities
to have the problem fixed. Repairs generally take four to six
weeks. Return to top.
Why do I have to pay a street light
fee if there is no street light near my home?
The street light fee covers all expenses
to operate all street lights within the District including major
thoroughfares. Expenses include electrical and maintenance costs.
Return to top.
Do you have a park with a playground,
restrooms and picnic tables?
Yes, Cimarron Eastridge Park, located at
Constitution Avenue and Shawnee Drive has all of these amenities
plus a pavilion and baseball fields. Restrooms are available
only if the pavilion has been reserved (see below). In addition,
Fredericksburg Park, located at Fredericksburg Road and Petersburg
Court has a playground and picnic tables. Return
to top.
I noticed a pavilion at Cimarron Eastridge
Park. Can I reserve it for a party?
Yes, to reserve the pavilion call or visit
our office to check availability. Reservations require a $25.00
non-refundable deposit and a $50.00 or $75.00 refundable damage
deposit. Restroom facilities will be cleaned prior to your reservation
and made available for your use. Your damage deposit will be
mailed back to you upon inspection of the facilities after your
reservation. Return to top.
I noticed baseball fields at Cimarron
Eastridge Park. Can I reserve them?
Yes, baseball fields may be used on a first
come first serve basis unless they have been reserved. Stop
by our office if you would like to reserve a baseball field.
One or both fields may be reserved for $5.00/hour per field.
Return to top.
Why are we conserving water if there has been so much precipitation lately?
Our current water conservation is not due to drought or the level of precipitation received. A Water Conservation Plan has been implemented due to a court ruling limiting the use of eight of our seventeen supply wells. These eight wells account for 40% of our total water supply. To ensure that our customers have an adequate supply, we have implemented watering guidelines to manage water usage from the remaining nine wells. Return to top.
WATER
CONSERVATION FAQ's
Can
I wash my vehicle?
Will we always have water restrictions?
When can I buy a sod permit, how do I get
one and how much do they cost?
How long can I water with a permit?
Stage 2 Conservation is in effect until October 31, 2010. Please see the table below for watering guidelines. Return to top.
STAGE |
MONTHS |
GUIDELINES |
ADDRESSES |
DURATION |
WATERING
TIMES |
| ODD |
EVEN |
|
April
- October |
Lawns: Two days
per week |
Tuesday
Saturday |
Wednesday
Sunday |
Two hours per day |
Before
9 am After 6 pm |
| Trees, flowers, shrubs, gardens: Any day Before 9 a.m. After 6 p.m. |
Car washing: Any day Anytime |
Can I wash my vehicle?
Vehicles may be washed in accordance with the current Conservation Stage, please see the guidelines column in the above table to determine car washing status. Return to top.
Will we always be subject to water restrictions?
Yes, we are committed to promoting the
responsible use of our limited resource and have submitted a Water Conservation Plan to the Colorado Water Conservation Board, which has been approved. To that end we will
always be in one stage of our water conservation plan. To achieve
this goal it is important to make every effort to conserve and
provide water for both current and future generations. Return
to top
When can I buy a sod/seed permit, how do
I get one and how much do they cost?
Sod/seed permits will be available April 1, 2011 through May 16, 2011 and September 1, 2011 through September 30, 2011, and allow for the installation of up to 1,500 square feet of sod or seed. Visit our Sod Permit Page for additional information. Return
to top.
How long can I water with a permit?
Permits allow daily watering for a four-week period to establish newly installed sod or seed. Return to top.
