Two of the five board members for the Cherokee Metro District will face a recall this summer because some residents have seen them as unresponsive to water quality concerns.

Some residents who live in eastern Colorado Springs neighborhoods served by Cherokee say the minerals in the water wear out expensive household appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, much faster than would otherwise be expected. While the hardness of the water is not a health risk, they would like the district to put in treatment to soften the water.

A resident leading the recall, Jeremy Atkinson said it took two weeks to collect 437 signatures, far more than the 300 required, because residents want to see change. Only eight of the signatures were disqualified, he said.

“Cherokee doesn’t understand how upset the customers are,” he said, noting people are still coming forward to sign the petitions.

Cherokee’s water hardness has prompted some residents to put in home water softeners that can often cost thousands of dollars and may not address all their problems, residents previously told the Gazette.

The board members facing recall, Steve Hasbrouck and Linda Keleher, have maintained the water is high quality.

“There is nothing wrong with Cherokee water,” Hasbrouck said, in an interview. “Our water quality is virgin, it is first use.”

Since Cherokee is planning a new water treatment system to filter out a form of forever chemical, called PFOA found in its most productive well, some residents would like to see the district consider additional treatment to address the minerals. The district is planning for a new $25 million to $30 million water treatment plant because the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to require water providers keep levels of PFOA in the water below 4 parts per trillion. The PFOA, found in firefighting foam, was detected at 8.7 parts per trillion in Cherokee’s water. Forever chemicals are found in numerous products and are facing new regulation because they can cause negative health effects.

At a district board meeting on Tuesday, Kevin Brown, a water resource engineer for the district, presented options for the district to remove minerals from the water and rough estimates associated with new water treatment plants. The options, all likely to cost tens of millions, included reverse osmosis, ion exchange and large scale softening, likely achieved by adding lime.

He also proposed flushing water pipes in the district on a more systematic schedule to remove sediment and options to change the system for chlorinating the water to lower the chlorination for residents who live closer to water treatment plants. The level of chlorine is higher in those areas because chlorine degrades as it travels through the pipes and a certain level must be maintained for those who live at the end.

The board did not direct staff to pursue any of the options, instead asking for time to digest the dense presentation.

Still for Atkinson the presentation was a step in the right direction.

Hasbrouck said in an interview the district’s new wastewater treatment plant that filters dissolved solids from water before it is returned to the ground for reuse is expected to lower the overall water hardness.

District General Manager Amy Lathen said in an interview previously the district expects to see about a 30% reduction in total dissolved solids and hardness.

New board members could make decisions on future projects depending on the outcome of the recall election expected to take place on June 4, with ballots going out to about 14,800 voters in the mail.

Former Secretary of State Wayne Williams is running the election for the district and tried to put the recall questions on the June primary ballots, but that election has different deadlines.

So Cherokee voters will receive a separate ballot asking them if they want to recall Hasbrouck and Keleher and if they support the person running to fill their seats for ten months. Voters will be able to vote on both questions, even if they do not support the recall, he said.

Candidates to replace the two board members have until April 1 to self nominate. The forms for those who wish to self nominate will be available Friday.