Resources on tap for a growing region.
Developing adequate water resources is critical to serve Colorado's current and future generations, as well as to provide for our region's economic vitality and quality of life.
Colorado is the only state in the continental U.S. with all major waterways originating within its boundaries. Eighty-five percent of Colorado's water is used by the agricultural industry. The remaining 15 percent is divided among domestic, municipal, and industrial uses.
The Denver Water Board is the largest provider of water in the Metro Denver area, serving more than 1.3 million customers. The City of Aurora is the second largest, with 310,000 customers.
The Special District Association of Colorado (SDA) has nearly 200 special district members in Metro Denver providing water, water sanitation, and water conservation services. Special districts are formed by local voters to provide vital public services that cannot be feasibly supplied by cities or counties in the region.
The $653 million large-scale water-reuse facility Prairie Waters facility in Aurora opened in 2010. It draws South Platte River water near Brighton and sends it 34 miles to the treatment facility. Prairie Waters will increase the city's water supply by 20 percent and provide up to 3.3 billion gallons of water annually. It can also treat 50 million gallons of water a day. The project was constructed by Denver-based CH2M HILL, a global full-service engineering, construction, and operations firm.
Construction of the Rueter-Hess Reservoir is underway to meet the long-term water needs of the Parker community and Douglas County. Phase one, at $105 million, is complete. Phase two was approved in 2008 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an enlarged $60 million reservoir totaling 72,000 acre-feet of storage. Expected completion is 2012.