U.S. News

Lauren Boebert Demands $5M to Fix Colorado Town’s ‘Toxic Black Sludge’ Drinking Water

By Jake Beardslee · June 12, 2025

Morgan County, CO — Representative Lauren Boebert visited Prairie View Ranch Water District this week, spotlighting a 20-year crisis that has left residents with “toxic black sludge” instead of clean drinking water. During her visit, Boebert pledged to seek a $5 million federal grant to overhaul the failing infrastructure.

“This is something that should upset and appall every single Coloradan,” Boebert told residents, calling the situation “unacceptable,” according to CBS News. She plans to submit the funding request to the House Appropriations Committee later this month. If approved, the measure could be wrapped into a larger bill and potentially reach President Donald Trump’s desk by September, her office said.

The 150-person community, located about 50 miles north of Denver, has reportedly long accused state and county officials of negligence. CBS News reported that Morgan County allowed the district to operate as a private, for-profit entity for 16 years, during which unlicensed contractors allegedly used falsified credentials and paperwork to construct substandard housing and infrastructure.

In addition, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reportedly failed to act for over a decade despite knowing the housing developments were built without proper state approvals.

“We have systems. We have policies. We have regulations that should never allow this, and it went by blind eyes and deaf ears,” resident Sam Belmonte told CBS. He praised Boebert’s appearance as “invigorating” and called on state Attorney General Phil Weiser to follow her lead.

Boebert left the district with a jar of contaminated water, which she said she plans to present to the House to drive home the urgency of the issue. “Every Coloradan, every American, every person deserves clean drinking water,” she said.