SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
VOLUME 34 32
C I T Y
50cI
SSUE 48 31 ISSUE
WEEK, OF AUGUST 4, TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24,2022 2020
New COVID-19 restrictions will prohibit indoor dining, personal gatherings
South Adams County water district targets “forever chemicals” BY MICHAEL BOOTH THE COLORADO SUN
The South Adams County Water and Sanitation District, anchored by Commerce City, will be paying Denver Water $2.75 million this year for enough supply to dilute local well water tainted by PFAS “forever chemicals” from firefighting foam runoff, officials said on June 26. The district serves 65,000 people, and said it needs a new $130 million treatment plant to filter out PFAS
and past contamination from the industrial solvent 1,4-dioxane, in order to avoid buying relatively expensive Denver water indefinitely. The district is applying for federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants to build the new plant, but is now competing with dozens of communities newly in need after the Environmental Protection Agency radically lowered safe PFAS guidelines in June, officials said. PFAS is an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
More than 100 communities across Colorado are scrambling to retest drinking water under state guidance, and come up with dilution or treatment plans if PFAS levels prove too high. The EPA’s drinking water guidance for PFAS, a family of common water repellents used in thousands of consumer goods from rain gear to nonstick pans, was formerly no more than 70 parts per trillion of lifetime exposure. In June, the EPA’s guidance for
Brighton breaks ground on water plant
two forms of PFAS, called PFOA and PFOS, was cut to 0.004 parts per trillion and 0.02 parts per trillion, respectively. South Adams was fine under the old guideline; under the new guidelines, its 2021 results of 4.6 ppt for PFOA and 13 ppt for PFOS are up to 1,000 times the new guidance. Frisco was one of the first Colorado communities to see the changed SEE CHEMICALS, P5
Free lunches in area school districts are no more BY YESENIA ROBLES CHALKBEAT COLORADO
By Ellis Arnold
A long line of cars outside the city of Brighton’s rapid testing site at Colorado Community Media Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent weeks high demand. Adams County’s 14-day test positivity As Denver metroplant counties continue to City staffdue andto councilors toss shovels full of dirt during the groundbreaking forrate the city’s new water treatment July 26. inch closer to local stay-at-home COURTESY ordersPHOTO was 15.9 percent, as of Nov. 17, according to Tri-County Health Department. under with Colorado’s systembeginning of coronavirusBrighton and Commerce City’s test positivity rates City wereCouncilors, both higherstaff than plant after 2025, the plant and contractors celebrated the operation by Dec.the 2025. related restrictions, state announced 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have groundbreaking July 27. Overall, the project is expected a new level of rules that prohibits indoor died from COVID-19 related health issues. To limit the spread of COVID-19, “On hot days like this, we are to costand $155 million. The construcdining personal gatherings — a at least 15 counties moved to tighter restrictions indoor and remindedthat howprohibits important water tion is that being funded with bonds change applies to the majority of the personal gatherings. is — not just any water, quality that will be repaid by fees paid by Denver metro area andand many sustainable water,” City Manager future developers bycounties a flat $6in BY SCOTT TAYLOR othermonth regions.user fee set to begin in Michael Martinez said. per STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM The state’s COVID-19 dial, which has Actual site preparation and conJanuary. by Belen Ward been struction Photo should start this month. Theinplant will augment city’s effect since September,the is the set Work is officially underway on Construction on the project is of different levels of restrictions that each Brighton’s new water treatment
New facility should come on line near the end of 2025
scheduled to be finished in April
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Add one more thing to your to-do list before school starts: an application for free and reducedprice lunch. This year, school district leaders are renewing the push by reminding parents to fill out this form. For the past two years, county is required to get follow basedmeals on the students could school for free their parents severity of a whether county’s local virus spread. lledgrew out the or not — but Thefidial out ofform the state’s safer-atthat won’t be the case this home order — the policy that camefall. after Beth Wallace, the executive the statewide stay-at-home order this director for food and nutrispring allowedfor numerous of tionand services Jeffco types Public businesses to reopen. Schools, said her district served The state switched to color about 30recently percent more meals than before the pandemic. identifiers — levels blue, yellow and Atrather the same time, as the eligiorange than numbered levels — to bility forms weren’t required, avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red districts saw a drop in the popumeant a stay-at-home order. Now, level lation identified as eligible for redsubsidized — “severe risk” — is the lunches. InsecondJeffco, eligibility dropped 10 percent PleaseSEEsee RESTRICTIONS, Page 2 LUNCH, P6
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