The nonprofit Mapleton Commercial Area Owners Association, which runs wastewater services plans to dissolve and hand over control of its operations to the government-run Mapleton Water District in a move the two groups are calling a merger.
A media release from the water district said the move is “in response to the imminent sewer infrastructure failure.”
“Our system is getting old and we’re having to do some replacements, repairs and inspections. And permit requirements are stretching us to our financial limit.,” said MCAOA President Cynthia Mateos.
Mapleton Water District is not without its own financial issues. It was awarded millions in federal grants, including an emergency assistance grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for repairs related to flooding in 2023, only to have that money rescinded months later.
Water District Board Chair Vanessa West said the district ultimately received some of its grant money, but is still millions of dollars short of what it expected.
Co-chair of the Mapleton Water District Board of Commissioners Art Donnelly told KLCC at that time that all of Mapleton’s water infrastructure is failing and estimated the cost of replacement at $23 million.
The merger is possible because of HB 3910, a bill passed by the legislature and signed into law in late May. It allows for water districts to assume sanitary operations in certain instances.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Boomer Wright, represents the Mapleton area.
“Every time I talk to [Wright], he’s been telling me, ‘the water and sewer needs to merge.’ That’ll help you guys. So finally some other government officials have been working with us to try and find out the easiest way to merge,” said West.
As part of the law, the two utilities must hold a public meeting before the merger can become official. That will take place at 6:00 p.m. Monday in the Mapleton Lions Club Kitchen. That will be followed by a feasibility study this fall.
