Colorado's top water quality official said Friday that as the state population grows and as climate changes, Colorado will struggle with more water quality issues.

"Most climate change models say there will be more pressure on state water resources," said Steve Gunderson, director of the Colorado Water Quality Control Division. "That means more demand to use sources of water that are now marginal."

Gunderson's comments came in response to the recent release of Environment Colorado's "Water Under Pressure" report. "Water Under Pressure" said that state growth has reduced rivers' water quality by 21 percent and lakes' by 31 percent over the past eight years. Environment Colorado proposed additional staffing and funding for the water quality division, which oversees storm water and wastewater permits.

"We need more cops on the beat," said Stephanie Thomas, clean water advocate for Environment Colorado and author of the report. "Without proper inspection and enforcement of existing water quality protections, there is no way to start improving water quality."

Gunderson said that the reason the number of impaired stream segments in Colorado has increased could very well be stricter enforcement of the Clean Water Act. Tighter standards, an increased emphasis on storm water permits and increased reporting could be skewing statistics, he said. "The primary reason we see more impairments is that we see more data," Gunderson concluded.

About two-thirds of the 121 Colorado streams labeled as impaired fail to meet a single standard. The most common reason for impairment is selenium, the culprit in about 40 percent of reaches. Zinc, typically associated with increased mining activity on the Western Slope, is another frequent pollutant.

Gunderson agrees that more staff is needed to address these problems. Over the past two years, 22 inspectors have joined the water quality division, and Gunderson pitched for additional help during a recent hearing of the water resources committee of the state legislature. "The division is seeking resources," he said. "It's the type of job that will only get bigger as growth continues."

The Environment Colorado report is particularly critical of the number of inspectors checking storm water permits. Only one percent of storm water sites were inspected in 2006, according to the report.

About ten percent of the 5,600 permits issued in 2006 were inspected using four staff members and numerous contractors, Gunderson said. "Even if only ten percent are inspected, it's still not enough," said Thomas.

The report also considered the 1,150 wastewater permits in Colorado. "They might have multiple discharge points and can be very large and complicated," Gunderson said. "When there is disagreement, it becomes even more complex."

Impervious surfaces and chemical runoff have increased as the state population grows and more ground is paved. The report cites Colorado's population as having increased 31 percent between 1990 and 2000 as a major contributor to declining water quality. It also points to energy development, agricultral, mining and water rights issues.

Better enforcement of water quality regulations, more efficient use of water and additional remediation resources, said the report, can help solve Colorado's water quality dilemma. "In terms of population, you can't tell people where to live or where their children will live," Thomas said. "The question is, 'How do we grow more responsibly?'"

Source: The Pueblo Chieftain