Denver Water crews install or replace an average of 70,000 feet of pipe a year. Replacements are done for various reasons, including to repair or avoid main breaks; replace corroded pipe; alleviate water quality problems; increase available hydrant fire flow; and improve overall area delivery.
The water distribution system contains more than 2,700 miles of water mains. Every improvement and replacement project is different due to the conditions at the project site. When Denver Water is working in your neighborhood, you should receive a notice describing the project and providing contact information, in case you have questions. To inquire about a specific project, please contact the project foreman identified on this notice. Or, call 303-628-6000 for more information on the project.
Once work begins to replace a pipe, it may be delayed or interrupted because the crew laying your main is responsible for emergency repairs of water-main breaks, should one occur elsewhere. If a crew is called away to repair a main break, they might be off the project site for a few days, a week, or longer.
Notes:
* The service line from the street-side shutoff to a residence or business is owned by the customer, and its repair and maintenance is the customer's responsibility, not Denver Water's. As a courtesy to the customer, if personnel are available Denver Water repairs leaks between the main in the street and the street-side shutoff valve to reduce water loss. If during repairs or main replacement, and in some other cases an existing service line is found to include lead, a new service line is installed from the new water main to the shutoff valve by the street.
** Denver Water covers all jobs with temporary paving at the end of every day or after repairs are made. Permanent paving is scheduled after the entire project is complete and may be delayed due to weather or to combine projects into one large paving job.
After the crews are gone
After a main repair, you may see reddish discoloration in the water caused by small amounts of iron compounds flushing out of the system. These iron compounds are not hazardous, and you can clear up the discoloration by running the cold water for a few minutes. Sometimes, particles of iron can get into your aerators, causing a loss of water flow. If this happens, take off the aerator on a faucet. If you see hard particles in it, rinse them off and do any other aerators as well. Don't forget the shower head. You can avoid clogging issues by running the cold water in the bathtub or an outside spigot.