A water emergency did what years of political turmoil could not: it ended Hartman’s legal existence as an incorporated Colorado town. State officials declared the small Prowers County community abandoned after its government collapsed, leaving nobody authorized to manage a troubled drinking-water system serving about 40 homes.
Approximately 30 people still live in Hartman, near the Kansas border. They have not been ordered to leave, and the community has not become a ghost town. In this case, “abandoned” is a legal designation that removes the defunct municipal structure and opens a path for another organization to operate the water system.
From political conflict to a government shutdown
Hartman, incorporated in 1910, had struggled for years with elections, recalls, budgets, audits and repeated changes in leadership. Reports also described lawsuits, restraining orders and allegations involving town finances, although the state abandonment case did not decide whether any former official had committed wrongdoing.
The mayor resigned in October 2025. Hartman’s three remaining trustees then resigned in January 2026 after a reported physical confrontation involving four women following a contentious town meeting.
That left Hartman without trustees or a town clerk. The departing officials did not appoint replacements or complete the steps needed for another municipal election.
Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs had visited Hartman more than 30 times since 2022 to assist with elections, official turnover, budgets, audits, grants and training. Once every authorized position was vacant, however, state agencies could not appoint new officers or operate the town on their own.
The drinking-water problem could no longer wait
Hartman’s administrative collapse became a health concern because the town owned its drinking-water infrastructure. Evidence presented to the state said the community had been under a boil-water advisory since October 2025.
The water needed testing and adequate chlorination, while the compromised storage tank required repair or replacement. No qualified operator was running the system when the state considered Hartman’s future.
Colorado health officials had documented significant deficiencies dating back to 2001. Multiple enforcement orders and more than $100,000 in penalties were issued during 2023, 2024 and 2025 over problems that included monitoring and reporting failures, openings in the storage tank and the absence of a certified operator.
The resident who initiated the abandonment proceeding said in June that the system had lacked chlorine for more than a month and that the water was not potable and smelled unpleasant.
Some reports have illustrated the story with photographs of PFAS testing vials. The state order does not identify PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” as the cause of Hartman’s emergency. Its findings focus on chlorination, testing, tank damage, regulatory compliance and the lack of an operator.
More than $1 million was available but out of reach
State agencies had provided more than $1 million in grants for improvements to Hartman’s water system. The funding was reimbursement-based, requiring the town to approve contracts and complete eligible work before recovering the cost.
With no authorized officials, Hartman could not sign contracts or approve spending. Prowers County was reportedly paying an electricity bill to keep water flowing, but it lacked authority to operate the town-owned system.
The deadlock shows how an infrastructure problem can become much harder to resolve when responsibility is unclear. A separate major water-supply emergency in Kent and Sussex similarly demonstrated how quickly unreliable service can affect homes and essential facilities.
Hartman’s failure is not attributed to drought, but it arrives as the 2026 Colorado River drought crisis keeps wider attention on water security across the western United States.
A new law gave Colorado an emergency exit
Colorado previously required a town to go five years without elections or an operating government before it could be declared abandoned. That timeline offered no practical response to an immediate water hazard.
A law signed on May 26, 2026, created an exception when a town has no trustees or clerk, cannot hold an election and owns critical water infrastructure. Hartman met all three conditions.
Resident Jessie Simmons filed an abandonment application on June 17. After public notice, the state held a hearing on July 13 where supporters, three formal objectors and other interested residents could present evidence.
Some residents argued that Hartman had been failed by gaps in state law and that local people remained willing to serve. The hearing officer acknowledged those concerns but found no legal process that could restart the government or authorize an election under the circumstances.
Deputy Secretary of State Andrew Kline issued the final order on July 28. The findings and legal reasoning are available in the official Hartman abandonment order.
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What changes for residents now
Hartman’s records and municipal seal will be held by the Prowers County Clerk and Recorder. Town-owned streets, real estate and improvements transfer to the county, including the water infrastructure.
Prowers County can transfer the water system to an organization primarily responsible for water treatment or delivery. That entity could secure an operator, approve repairs and pursue available funding.
Privately owned homes do not become county property, and residents are not required to relocate. The order can be challenged in Denver District Court within 30 days of its July 28 issuance, while future reincorporation remains possible if legal requirements are met.
The declaration alone does not make the water safe. Residents should continue following boil-water and public-health instructions until testing confirms the supply meets required standards.
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