The construction of Denver Water's new Northwater Treatment Plant is on budget and on track to open in 2024, having overcome challenges during 2021 stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic that affected everything from staffing to the supply chain.

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The Northwater plant, on Highway 93 north of Golden, will be the fourth drinking water treatment plant in Denver Water’s system.

When finished, the new plant will be capable of producing up to 75 million gallons of clean drinking water per day using state-of-the-art technology. 

After the Northwater plant opens rin 2024, Moffat Treatment Plant, which was built in the 1930s, will continue to operate at a reduced capacity until all North System Renewal projects have been completed — including the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project. Moffat also will continue to store treated drinking water, just like it does now. But much of that stored water will be treated at the Northwater plant, then piped down to Moffat.

Watch 100-plus workers place 1,400 cubic yards of concrete for a drinking water storage tank.

The new plant is being built on 100 acres of Denver Water land next to the utility’s Ralston Reservoir. The site will include seven primary buildings and multiple auxiliary facilities including tanks, clearwells, pump stations and vaults.

Here are some of the highlights from the work done during 2021:

• Passed 50% construction completion.
• Passed 1 million hours worked.
• Completed all the remaining excavation needed to build the structures that will be part of the plant. 
• Placed concrete base slabs for the two underground storage tanks. Called “clearwells,” these 10-million-gallon storage tanks will hold clean, treated drinking water from the plant until it is released into Denver Water’s distribution system.

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• “Dried in” the first building on-site, meaning the work was done to make the exterior surfaces of the Clearwell Influent Valve Vault building impermeable to rain and weather.
• Installed the roof and windows and applied a stone veneer on the plant’s Operations Building and started installation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing works.

• Completed most of the necessary connections with the Moffat Treatment Plant to enable Moffat to eventually store treated water piped from the Northwater Treatment Plant once the new facility is operational.
• Earned the Envision Gold Award from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. Envision Awards recognize leadership in building sustainable infrastructure around the world and encourage those involved to consider sustainable choices throughout the life of the project.

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