DENVER — A local water expert is criticizing the state agency responsible for water testing over its handling of data manipulation that a report shows compromised thousands of samples.
James Eklund, a prominent water attorney and the former director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, said that the apparently intentional manipulation done on water samples by a chemist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the subsequent delays in notification, undermines public confidence in the agency.
“Every time we have something like this that occurs, it erodes the public's trust in our institutions,” Eklund said.
Monday, Denver7 Investigates reported on a third-party study into the incident, noting that CDPHE learned that one of their chemists had altered critical information, changing the results for thousands of water tests. However, CDPHE did not take any action until February when the chemist was placed on leave, and did not notify the Environmental Protection Agency until April.
The impacted samples came from 69 different water districts, according to CDPHE. The testing was to detect certain metals such as barium, copper and chromium. The chemist later resigned in May and the EPA revoked certain certifications for CDPHE’s testing lab.
“There was a lapse here, and it was serious,” Eklund said. “They clearly made a mistake.”
Eklund added that this incident exposed systematic weaknesses such as outdated equipment, limited staff and inadequate oversight.
But possibly more alarming is the slow response from the department and lack of public accountability.
“There’s no benefit to keeping something like this under wraps,” he said. “I'm sure that they're scrutinizing it even more so now that your reporting has brought it to light publicly.”
A CDPHE spokesperson provided a statement on Monday that noted that the agency has no evidence of any acute health risks as a result of this data manipulation.
“There’s the old saying, ‘it's not the crime, it's the cover up,’" Eklund said. “But at the end of the day if something like this does happen, in order to maintain confidence of the public, you have to come clean with it, and you have to demonstrate transparent ways you are going to fix it.”
Impacted water districts:
- Strasburg Sanitation and Water District
- Country Gardens MHP
- Rolling Plains Estates
- Travois HOA
- Town of Pritchett
- Princeton Estates Subdivision
- Trail West Association
- 96 Pipeline Co Inc.
- Rogers Mesa Domestic Water Company
- Sunshine Mesa Domestic WC
- Castle Pines North Metro District
- Cottonwood WSD
- Chatfield South Water Dist C/O CRS of Colorado
- Grandview MHP
- Peyton Pines Filing #4 Water Association Inc.
- Prairie Estates
- Town of Brookside OF
- Town of Rockvale
- Panorama Ranches HOA
- Wooden Deer HOA
- Consolidated Mutual Water Co.
- Town of Haswell
- Town of Bethune
- Town of Vona
- Windcliff POA
- Glacier View Meadows W and SA
- Carter Lake N and S WTP
- Town of Aguilar
- Town of Brandon
- Pinon Water and Sanitation District
- Santa Fe Trail Ranch Metro
- Town of Starkville
- Karval Water Users Inc.
- Limon Correctional Facility, Environmental
- Buffalo Hills RV Park
- Gateway Canyons (RDR Property Services LLC)
- Hidden Valley Water (RDR Property Services LLC)
- Town of Nucla
- Project 7 Water Authority
- Town of Cheraw
- Fayette Water Company
- Town of Manzanola
- Patterson Valley Water Company
- South Side Water Association
- Valley Water Company
- Vroman Water Company
- West Grand Valley Water
- Pitkin Iron HOA
- Oneal Water
- Morrison Creek Water and Sanitation District
- Mountain Mutual Water Company
- Inverness Water and Sanitation District
- Cherry Valley Elementary School
- Franktown Elementary School
- Sierra Middle School
- Castlewood Community Preschool
- U.S. Department of the Army Fort Carson
- San Juan Ranch HOA
- Gateway School
- Plateau Valley School District #50
- Camp Id Ra Ha Je
- Wildwood School
- GCC Rio Grande
- Lake Pueblo State Park
- Signal Mountain Water Company
- Xcel Energy Hayden Station
- Riverbend Cabins
- Telluride Regional Airport
- Lone Star School
