City emails during Xcel power outage reveal widespread confusion and near-miss sewage threat to Boulder Creek

Editor’s note: Boulder Reporting Lab compiled a timeline of events from April 5-7, 2024, during Xcel Energy’s preemptive power outage, based on city officials’ emails and interviews with Joe Taddeucci, the city’s utilities director, among others. The details highlight confusion before the outage, escalating concerns and a near miss when officials rushed to prevent raw sewage from entering Boulder Creek after an unexpected loss of power at both substations serving the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The creek, communications show, was as few as 10 minutes away from contamination.

At 8:15 p.m. on Friday, April 5, Mike Chard, director of Boulder’s Office of Disaster Management, sent an email to the city manager, police chief and other officials. He warned of potential extended power outages and public safety power shutoffs, noting that crews were on standby to patrol the lines.

Chard explained that at 6 p.m., Xcel Energy had informed him of the possibility of cutting off power in Boulder to prevent wildfires, triggered by downed power lines due to severe winds.

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