For more than 90 years, Denver Water has provided clean, high-quality water to its customers. Since 1997, Denver Water has pursued a multi-pronged water strategy to increase supply and decrease demand by implementing an aggressive conservation plan; constructing a recycled water treatment plant and distribution system; and developing additional water supply.
Conserve
Denver Water has been encouraging its customers to conserve for many years. In the early 1930s, the water utility advertised on streetcar trolleys with the message, “Water is Denver’s Greatest Natural Asset — Please Don’t Waste It.” And after a drought in the late 1970s, Denver Water coined the term Xeriscape to promote low-water-use landscapes. Now Denver Water is working hard to help reduce its customers’ water usage 22 percent from what they were using before the 2002 drought. Denver Water offers rebates for customers who buy water-saving fixtures, conducts audits on irrigation systems and cooling towers to help customers use less water, and fines people who don’t follow summer watering rules. Denver Water has conducted a successful advertising campaign for the past four years, encouraging people to use only the water they need. In fact, customers now are using about 18 percent less than they did before the 2002 drought.
Recycle
Water is much too precious in the West to use just once. That’s why Denver Water started a program to treat and recycle wastewater at a new recycled water treatment plant. Once build-out is complete, the project will supply more than 5 billion gallons of recycled water every year for irrigation, industrial and commercial uses — freeing up enough drinking water to serve about 42,500 households each year. There are more than a dozen wastewater recycling programs in Colorado, and Denver Water operates the largest recycled water system in the state.
Supply
Denver Water is vigorously promoting water conservation and building its recycled water infrastructure. Still, there is a need to increase water supply.
Denver Water has identified a shortfall in supply beginning in 2016 that will grow to 34,000 acre-feet by 2030. Aggressive water conservation is expected to free up an additional 16,000 acre-feet, but a shortage of 18,000 acre-feet will still exist. New supplies of water will be a necessity in the future, even with successful conservation and recycling programs. Denver Water is pursuing ways to ensure future water supplies for customers, including constructing storage from previously mined gravel pits north of Denver; implementing small-scale system refinements; and pursuing the Moffat Collection System Project.
There is no one answer. But a combination of conservation, recycled water and new water supply will help meet Denver Water’s future water needs while lessening risks posed by drought, climate change and many other possible future scenarios.
Have more questions? Contact Joe Sloan, 303-628-6320.