Pueblo Sewage Spill: Source Notes and Records Excerpts
Selected passages supporting the Ledger's initial reporting, with original page numbers and context.
PDPHE released two PDFs on September 22 after payment of an $82.74 records charge: a 222-page scan of responsive records and a one-page request record. The scan includes blank backs and duplicate correspondence. Its laboratory reports represent 34 distinct sample IDs.
This is the health department's production, including some City correspondence. It is not a complete engineering or construction file. Page references below use the original PDF numbering, including blank backs. We have cropped the displayed scans to relevant passages, omitting contact blocks and unrelated correspondence. The original files are preserved for verification.
August 28: warning coverage and coordination
Original PDF page 205 contains state official Kelsey Warkentin's questions and responses supplied by PDPHE's Shylo Dennison. Page 203 identifies Dennison's reply as August 28 at 10:52 a.m. and says she answered questions within the earlier message. Page 203 also describes planned agricultural outreach and coordination.
Read a text transcript of the key responses
On signs: “Yes, the City posted but there is not a trail along where the spill is however so it has not been done a long way down the river. City would know more.”
On downstream town, agricultural and other water-user notification: “City would know more.”
On a downstream ditch inventory: “We do not.” The question offers help locating one through another state division.
On private-well information: “No information has been sent yet, but we can coordinate to do that once we know more.” The response also says local testing is available and asks how many residences could be at risk.
On Otero County notification: “Andra notified La Junta – not sure about health department.”
These are descriptions of the response at that moment, not proof that no subsequent notices or signs were provided.
August 31: a question about weekend data
Original PDF page 191 contains Public Health Director Randy Evetts' August 31, 3:16 p.m. reply to Shylo Dennison about a draft release.
Read the transcript
“Nothing to add. It seems a little dates though since it was 3 days ago. Do they have any data from the weekend? I would think that the stuff at Nyberg road is much closer to Fowler by now.”
“Dates” appears that way in the original. The final sentence is the writer's expectation about movement, not a laboratory measurement or a verified travel-time calculation.
The final August 31 release appears on page 221. August 31 sample reports on pages 61–83 show results issued September 1. This distinction matters when evaluating what information could have been available for the earlier update.
What the response file establishes
The August 27 record first describes “thousands of gallons” (page 163), then relays a City estimate of approximately three million gallons (page 161). A City map cover message was sent to PDPHE that afternoon (page 155). KRDO reported a later estimate of approximately 4.25 million gallons on August 28. The figures are estimates reported at different times.
The August 28 response on page 205 describes limited sign placement, an incomplete ditch inventory, and private-well outreach still to be coordinated. Other correspondence describes efforts to contact canal and ditch companies (page 195) and planned outreach to growers (page 203). A Saturday August 29 email transmitted Friday laboratory reports (page 51). The August 31 public release (page 221) reported August 27 and 28 sampling and said the existing water-contact advisory remained in effect. These documents show actions and open questions at those times; they do not establish the current advisory status.
Public construction sources
- KRDO, June 18: project schedule and expected mid-July finish. The City's June 17 project-announcement URL returned a 404 on September 22.
- City of Pueblo, August 27: initial spill announcement
- City of Pueblo, September 14: explanation of the spill