Water is a precious commodity in Colorado.

My home is on well water, and I consider myself fortunate to be at the top of the food chain on my mountain. Still, Summit County officials need to seriously acknowledge an increase in water demands as a result of a great increase in short-term rentals.

When a local company cleaned my home’s septic (every three to four years), the technician and I got into a discussion about water usage. He said they clean a particular short-term rental property about every month.

We know our water treatment plant needed revamping, and we should all be concerned with the future ramifications tourism has on our county water supply and usage.

With many short-term rental properties housing a couple dozen visitors, I am asking our local officials to consider the consequences of water supply abuse and what is their comprehensive, long-term strategy?

We cannot blindly welcome tourists just to enjoy the revenue, and our precious resources must be respected and protected.

In the end, we locals will pay a heavy price.