ALAMOSA – A college history class gave Heather (Bollacker) Justus, Adams State class of 1995, the insight that propelled her career as a hydrogeologist. 

“I read that for a community to thrive and be successful, they need access to clean and reliable water. That resonated with me, and my career started,” she said. 

In April 2023, Justus began the newly created position of Water Resource Manager with the Parker Water and Sanitation District (Parker Water), outside of Denver. She explained Parker Water has an innovative, long-term water supply solution that will benefit both agricultural and municipal communities in the South Platte River Basin, in partnership with the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District. The program is called the Platte Valley Water Partnership (PVWP). 

“I love my job. When the district hired me, they did not have a defined Water Resource Program. I’m uniquely positioned, because it’s the culmination of what I love to do. I am tasked with the implementation of the Platte Valley Water Partnership, utilizing my strategic planning experience,” she said. 

Parker Water’s Water Resource Program includes the district’s water rights and legal responsibilities for those rights, including regulations, short and long-term water supply and demand, and conservation and efficiency. Justus works with the district’s water attorneys and its State Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Colorado Water Conservation Board Metro Basin Roundtable in an at-large voting position. 

“To achieve wise water stewardship, it is essential to complete master planning. Master planning needs to include long-term water resources, capital infrastructure, wastewater infrastructure, water efficiency and conservation, financial planning, and emergency and drought planning. All these elements need to integrate with and complement each other,” Justus noted. “Right now, we are in the midst of updating many of our plans to take us through the next decade. We are just starting the update for our 50-year water plan and will start the update to our emergency and drought plan next year.” 

Noting there are climate variations throughout the geologic record, she said there is evidence of a current warming trend. “As part of my job and responsibility to the community that I serve, I need to include those variations and impacts into water demand studies and plan accordingly.”  

After earning her B.S. in geology at Adams State, Justus took graduate courses in civil engineering at Colorado State University, followed by courses in water leadership and business.  

She began a series of increasingly responsible jobs with Leonard Rice Engineers, culminating as Project Manager and Employee Owner. In 2018, she took a position with Castle Rock Water. 

“When I started a family, I realized that I wanted to change from consulting to working for a utility,” she said. “In consulting you never see the impacts of the project on the community.  

While at a utility, you have the opportunity to see from start up to the water being delivered to the community. Not everyone knows where their water comes from and what it takes to get to the faucet.” 

Justus and her husband, David, ASU class of 1996, have three children, the youngest of whom is a biology major at Adams State.