Devore residents battling water company over multimillion-dollar tank on board member’s land
The rural hillside community of Devore has erupted in a dispute pitting a tiny local water company against a group of residents opposed to construction of a potential $7 million reservoir on a board member’s property. At issue with some residents is a 99-year land lease agreement, ratified in July 2021, between the Devore Water Co. and Doug Claflin, a member of the company’s board of directors. It would allow the water company to build a 610,000-gallon water tank on Claflin’s property to treat nitrate-contaminated water by blending it with clean water to reduce nitrate levels.