Operating Denver Water’s system to meet the challenges of today — and those decades in the future — means meeting day-to-day needs while upgrading infrastructure from the mountains to the network that serves 1.5 million customers across the Denver metro area. It means ensuring the infrastructure is in place to capture and store water as it melts off mountain snowbanks. That the water can be guided through dams, tunnels and streams to treatment plants where it is cleaned for delivery to customers. It means having crews skilled in replacing about 80,000 feet of water pipes buried under the city streets every year and able to respond to and fix breaks in older pipes 24/7/365. And it means investing in large, multiyear projects to ensure the system continues to reliably provide clean, safe water to 25% of Colorado’s population. Denver Water expects to invest about $1.9 billion into its water system during the next 10 years, from large projects to regular inspection and
maintenance programs designed to ensure the system is flexible, resilient and efficient. In addition to rates paid by customers, funding for Denver Water’s infrastructure projects, day- to-day operations and emergency expenses, like water main breaks, comes from bond sales, cash reserves, hydropower sales, grants, federal funding and fees paid when new homes and buildings are connected to the system. The utility does not make a profit or receive tax dollars. In addition, major credit rating agencies recently confirmed Denver Water’s triple-A credit rating, the highest possible, citing the utility’s track record of strong financial management. Here’s an overview of some of Denver Water’s recent and ongoing work: Water storage Work on the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project, the subject of more than 20 years of planning, got underway in April 2022. Expected to be complete in 2027, the project will raise the height of the existing dam by 131 feet.
The dam at Cheesman Reservoir was once the world’s tallest, standing 221 feet above the streambed when completed in 1905. The reservoir southwest of Denver near Deckers and related facilities were purchased in November 1918 by the Denver Water Board. Cheesman was the first reservoir of Denver’s mountain storage facilities and has been designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. (Photo: Denver Water)
24 The Acumen
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