Denver Water is responsible for maintaining and replacing water mains throughout its service area, while property owners are responsible for the service lines and meter pits at their service address.
Service lines
The dividing point between Denver Water-owned mains or Distributor-owned mains and service lines that are the responsibility of the property owner is located where the property taps into the main, or the discharge side of the valve closest to the Denver Water-owned or Distributor-owned main. At this dividing point, water leaves the public system and enters privately owned facilities to serve individual premises. The service line is owned by and installed at the expense of the property owner.
Service lines include all pipe and fittings up to and including the stop and waste valve in a building with an outside meter setting, and up to and including the valve at the downstream side of the meter for an inside meter setting.
Meter pits
In addition to the service line, the property owner also is responsible for the meters read by Denver Water and the meter pits in which they are located. Meter pits are manholes or vaults that house meters and protect them from the elements.
Meter pits are usually located in the front yard or in the sidewalk. The pit is a round metal plate about 12 inches in diameter, and usually says “Water Meter” on it. Most meter pits are also fitted with an Automatic Meter Reading device (an ERT) fitted through the lid, although some AMR devices are installed underneath the lid, and some are mounted on the sides of buildings.
The meter and meter setting and the AMR device also belong to the property owner. Denver Water will maintain and repair these devices when they fail due to normal wear and tear, but it is the property owner’s responsibility to protect them from damage from lawn mowers, traffic, freezing and vandalism.
Meter pits must comply with specifications in Denver Water's Engineering Standards, including requirements dealing with proper materials, frost and freeze protection and the pit being set to and maintained within 2 inches of the final grade of the ground or surrounding property, or flush with the pavement if installed in a sidewalk or driveway.
Stop Box and Valve
Most water services have a stop box on the street side of the meter pit (or near the front property line for inside meters). This top of the box is usually a 3-inch to 4-inch diameter disk, with a tube extending downward to a valve that is about 4 ½ to 6 feet deep. This valve helps the property owner and Denver Water control the water flow if there is a leak in the service line or plumbing on the property. To serve its purpose, the stop box must be level with the ground around it and accessible to Denver Water crews. There must be at least two to five feet of space around the stop box free of shrubbery, walls, or other obstructions that would interfere with turning the valve key. Denver Water will replace a broken stop box cover when it is reported or observed, but all other maintenance of the stop box and valve is the responsibility of the property owner.