Construction continues on Denver Water’s new, state-of-the-art water treatment plant, the Northwater Plant. It’s being built on a 183-acre site next to Ralston Reservoir, north of Golden.

Construction started in 2018, and the plant will be operational in mid-2024.

There has been quite a bit of progress in the last six to nine months. Drone video shot in late spring captures some of the milestones:

• The grade around the two, 10 million-gallon clear wells is complete.

This means only the top portion of these finished-water storage tanks will be visible going forward. It’s one of the distinct features of the entire project. Most of the structures are built into the ground to minimize impacts on sight lines and help with energy efficiency.

• All the buildings’ roofs are complete, and the buildings have all been “dried in.”

That means they are sealed from the outside elements, allowing crews to do all the inside work on the buildings without contending with the weather.

As the construction portion of the project draws gradually to a close, Denver Water's water quality team is beginning the testing and certification process for the plant, which is scheduled to open in 2024.