DONALA WATER & SANITATION DISTRICT

719-488-3603        WWW.DONALAWATER.ORG       July 2010

DONALA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (DCAP)

Donala announces a new program to help our customers who find themselves in a “tight squeeze” right now.  We have called it the Donala Customer Assistance Program (DCAP), and in conjunction with Tri-Lakes Cares, it is a way to help customers who are having problems with their bills in these tough economic times.  With foreclosures and job losses continuing, and other issues that force some of our customers to look for assistance, this is a way we think we can help.

Customers will receive a special mailing within the week with a further explanation and an “application” for folks who would sign up to help.  We are asking those who can to donate fifty cents up to a $1 per water and sewer bill to help the unfortunate Donala customers who are in trouble.  ONLY WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION WILL BE UTILIZED, but customers can cancel their participation anytime later by phone or email.  The money will be held in a separate account used solely for the purpose of crediting accounts that meet the scrutiny as a “needy customer.”   We are working with Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) in Monument to determine the validity of the need.  Only those customers who indicate they would like to participate as “donors” will be billed the amount they signed up for.   

Customers looking for assistance can pick up an application from the Donala office on Holbein Drive or from TLC in Monument.  The application needs to be submitted to Donala.  We will research the customer history and pass it to TLC for a determination decision.  Application needs to be made BEFORE disconnection of service has been initiated.  Communication with Donala or TLC is the key.  Logically, an important aspect of the process is water usage.  If a customer is abusing the system and using too much water, yet applies for help paying for it, approval is doubtful. 

Hopefully, as the economic situation improves, we will find this program no longer necessary.  Then, or if we find that we have accumulated enough money in the account to service forecast needs, we will postpone the additional donations. 

 We realize that in a community like ours there are not a whole lot of customers in such dire economic straits as in other parts of the area and county.  However, we have become aware of a number of customers in need, and we believe that the rest of us who have the wherewithal to help also probably have the desire.  Here’s our chance.  Please return the special mailing form with your positive response.  No response will be taken as a negative.

WATER WORKSHOP

Customers may have seen the signs out advertising a Water Workshop Donala is holding on Wednesday, July 7^th.  It will be held at the Gleneagle Golf Clubhouse from 9 AM to 2:30 PM.  This will be an official meeting of our Board of Directors with all of our consultants.  We will be discussing water and wastewater related projects and things we need to accomplish in the next few years.  The emphasis will be on the renewable water supply and some of the infrastructure we have been discussing in newsletters and Town Meetings in the past.

Since this is a meeting of the Board of Directors, it is an open meeting and we welcome customer participation.  If you have some ideas or just want to listen in on the plans, please call to sign up.  It will help us with the seating and refreshment set up.  Call Donala at 488-3603.

As I write this newsletter, we are a couple weeks into the rationing program for the season.  The weather has been interesting – starting off hot and dry, then cool and wet, later hot again.  One thing that has not changed is the fact that it seems to take a while every year for some folks to get the word.  On the 4^th of June we hit our historic peak demand of 3.495 million gallons.  If everyone was abiding by the rationing program, that would have been very unlikely. 

We usually give folks a little slack the first couple of weeks of each rationing season, but we finally had to send out several Warning Letters to those who were watering the wrong days and/or wrong times.  Our thanks to those who called to give us a “heads up” to violators.  As in past years, we do not solely take a neighbor’s word for it and thereby promote neighborhood “water wars.”  We will verify every infraction ourselves before sending out warnings, and DEFINITELY before levying any fines.  But we can’t be everywhere and we appreciate the help.

Please abide by the rationing program!  If you need help setting your timer, interpreting your system or schedule, give us a call.  Many will see the results of their over-watering when they see the bill that came with this newsletter.  Ouch!  Sorry ‘bout that!

REMINDER:  2010 outside irrigation rationing started May 31, and continues through September 6.  

DONALA ADOPTS THE BAPTISTS

Well, not really.  We aren’t into the church vs. state argument.  However, we have adopted Baptist Road from Gleneagle Drive to Roller Coaster for cleanup and maintenance.  It is part of the Adopt-a-Road program that El Paso County administers.  We will be out cleaning up along the road at least once a month.  If any customers would like to join us, we will announce the monthly schedule in each newsletter.  The July “trip’ will be on Tuesday, July 20.  Meet at the Donala offices at 10:45 AM.

DIRECT WITHDRAWAL PROGRAM

If you would like to have your payments automatically withdrawn from your checking account, please call us or come to our office at 15850 Holbein Drive to obtain information on the program and to complete the necessary paperwork to authorize the withdrawals.  We will need a voided check to be included with the paperwork to ensure the correct account number is accessed.  All authorized signatories on the account must sign the forms.  We are pleased to offer this program for your convenience and no cost for setup.  It will also work very well in conjunction with the E-bill program and/or budget billing.