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To keep water affordable and to encourage conservation, Denver Water’s rate structure includes three tiers based on how much water you use. Indoor water use — for bathing, cooking and flushing toilets — is essential for human life and is charged at the lowest rate. Efficient outdoor water use is charged in the second tier (middle rate), followed by additional outdoor water use in the third tier (highest rate).

In addition to variable charges based on water use, the rate structure also includes a monthly fixed charge based on the size of your water meter.

Why are rates going up?

Our employees continue their around-the-clock work running a large, intricate system that spans 13 counties across Colorado. With major investments forecast over the next 10 years, we’re staying on top of needed upgrades and new projects to keep this system operating efficiently.

We are continuing our proactive and strategic work maintaining and replacing water mains in the streets, building a new, state-of-the-art treatment plant and water quality laboratory, expanding Gross Reservoir, and replacing old, customer-owned lead service lines to protect our customers from the risk of lead in drinking water — preparing us for an uncertain future that includes more extreme weather patterns.

Bill impacts

We are slightly increasing the monthly fixed charge on your bill to ensure we recover 20% of our revenue from fixed charges, which helps us even out our revenue stream over the year. This also allows for reduced reliance on revenues that are based on how much water customers use, which has become increasingly difficult to predict given more frequent weather fluctuations.

If you’re like most residential customers who have a 3/4-inch meter, the fixed monthly charge will increase 70 cents, to $17.90 per month.

Single-family residential customers who receive a bill from Denver Water, have a 3/4-inch meter and use 104,000 gallons of water in 2023 as they did in 2022 can expect their annual cost of water to rise by a range of $13 to $47. Individual customer bills vary depending on how much water is used and where the customer lives in Denver Water’s service area.

Being water efficient brings benefits

We always encourage our customers to be efficient with their water use.

Using less water here means more water can be kept in the mountain reservoirs, rivers and streams that fish live in and Coloradans enjoy. And conserving water also can lower your monthly water bills, saving money.

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In 2023, Denver Water will continue work on projects that are part of our 10-year, $2.3 billion investment plan. We are staying on top of regular inspections and monitoring, as well as the upgrades and new projects needed to keep the water system running.

Some specific projects include:

• Lead Reduction Program. The largest public health campaign in Denver Water’s history is reducing the risk of lead getting into customers’ drinking water. The program is replacing an estimated 64,000 to 84,000 old, customer-owned lead service lines at no direct cost to the property owner. Customers enrolled in the program also are provided water pitchers and filters to use for drinking, cooking and preparing infant formula. In 2023, new federal funding will help Denver Water double the number of lines per year it’s able to replace.
• Northwater Treatment Plant. This new, state-of-the-art treatment plant under construction west of Highway 93 north of Golden will be capable of cleaning up to 75 million gallons of water per day when operational in 2024.
• Gross Reservoir expansion. This major component of our long-term, multipronged approach (including promoting water conservation, recycling water and responsibly sourcing new supply) will help deliver safe, reliable water to the 1.5 million people in our service area today and the additional people expected to live here in the future. Work on the project began in 2022 and is expected to be finished in 2027. Additional water storage from the project will help prevent future shortfalls during droughts and minimize an imbalance between our north and south collection systems.
• Pipe replacement. With more than 3,000 miles of pipe in the ground, we are working toward a goal of replacing 1% of our installed water mains every year, or more than 145,000 feet of pipe.

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Denver Water gets about half its water supply from the Colorado River Basin, which has been experiencing its worst drought in the last 1,200 years. Water providers across the West that rely on the river have committed to significant water use reductions by customers.

Our goals include replacing nonfunctional grass — like that found in traffic medians — by 30%, with trees and landscapes that have more benefits for our climate, wildlife and the environment. Denver Water also is working with partners to expand indoor and outdoor conservation programs.

Monthly Fixed Charges, $ per Bill

Treated Water Volume Rates, $ per 1,000 gallons

Single-Family Residential Customers

Private Fireline

Monthly Fixed Charges, $ per Bill

Treated Water Volume Rates, $ per 1,000 gallons

Single-Family Residential Customers

Private Fireline

Monthly Fixed Charges, $ per Bill

Treated Water Volume Rates, $ per 1,000 gallons

Single-Family Residential Customers

Private Fireline

Monthly Fixed Charges, $ per Bill

Treated Water Volume Rates, $ per 1,000 gallons