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Cooling Tower Incentive Program

Denver Water made changes to its cooling tower to save more than 250,000 gallons of water a year. Commercial, industrial and institutional customers can make similar water-saving changes to their cooling towers and earn up to $40,000 for doing so.

A cooling tower is often a building’s largest water user, and making changes to it can save a significant amount of water and money. With Denver Water’s Cooling Tower Incentive Program, Denver Water will pay your business to make your cooling tower more water-efficient.


  • Required Equipment
    • Make-up and blowdown water meters
    • Controller capable of monitoring make-up and tower conductivity
    • Communications package so Denver Water can detail monthly reports
  • Estimated Water Savings

    If an 800-ton cooling tower operated at five cycles of concentration, and received upgrades to increase its cycles of concentration to eight, it could save more than 337,000 gallons of water per year and be eligible for a $4,730 incentive payment from Denver Water. The cooling tower would then require less water and chemicals, reducing water bills, sewer bills and chemical costs.

  • Who is Eligible?

    All of Denver Water’s commercial, industrial and institutional customers are eligible to apply for the program.

  • What Determines the Amount of the Rebate?

    Denver Water pays $21.50 for every 1,000 gallons of water saved over a one-year period, up to $40,000. Projects must save at least 100,000 gallons per year.

  • Get Started
    • Choose a project that will improve water-use efficiency or make additional water reuse possible.
    • Contact Denver Water at 303-628-6067 for a pre-installation visit and inspection.
    • Denver Water will issue a contract detailing the terms of the project.
    • A Conservation staff member will conduct a post-installation inspection to verify operation.
    • Denver Water will track your water use and issue quarterly reports. 
    • After a year of monitoring, Denver Water will issue a check for the amount of water saved.
  • Project Requirements
    • Equipment or improved technology must remain in use for 20 years.
    • The water-saving project should be in an area that can be sub-metered or be able to show reduced consumption with a measured parameter. 
    • Water use data must be collected by Denver Water Conservation before and after the project.
    • Projects must meet all federal, state and local regulatory and permit requirements.
    • Customers may apply for more than one project at a time, as long as the projects are different.

Contact

Jason Millheim
Denver Water Conservation
1600 W. 12th Avenue, MC 330
Denver, CO 80204
303-628-6067
jason.millheim@denverwater.org