History of Denver Water in Timeline

Denver Water is a public utility established in 1918 that provides water services to the City and County of Denver, Colorado, and some surrounding suburban areas. As Colorado's oldest and largest water utility, it operates as a public agency funded by water rates and new tap fees. It supplies water to approximately 1.5 million people.

1900: Cheesman Dam Failure

On May 3, 1900, the earth fill dam under construction in Platte Canyon was overtopped by spring floods and swept away. Work began almost immediately on an improved hybrid arch-gravity design for Cheesman Dam.

1901: Election Question Ruled Invalid

In 1901, the election question regarding the city's attempt to build a new water system was ruled invalid on technical grounds, preventing the city from proceeding with negotiations or construction.

1905: Denver Union Water Company Studying the Site

As early as 1905, the Denver Union Water Company was studying the site of the confluence of the north and south forks of the South Platte River for a dam.

1905: Cheesman Dam Completed

In 1905, construction of the Cheesman Dam was finished. At 221 feet in height, it was the tallest dam in the world at the time.

1907: Independent Engineers Hired

In 1907, independent engineers were hired to appraise the Denver Union Water Company's assets.

March 1909: Independent Engineers valuation

In March 1909, independent engineers valued the company's assets at $14.4 million, but both the city and the company rejected this independent valuation.

1910: Negotiations Began Again

In 1910, negotiations between Denver and the Denver Union Water company began again as the end of the company's franchise approached.

1911: Moffat Died

Moffat died in 1911, after many rounds of offers, rejections, and litigation between the city and the Denver Union Water Company.

November 1918: Denver Water Formed and Water System Bought

In November 1918, Denver residents voted to form a five-member Board of Water Commissioners and buy the Denver Union Water Company's water system for $14 million, creating Denver Water. The sale was made official at a midnight meeting on November 1, 1918.

1918: Denver Water Established

In 1918, Denver Water was established as a public agency funded by water rates and new tap fees, serving the City and County of Denver, Colorado, and some surrounding suburbs. It became Colorado's oldest and largest water utility.

1924: Denver Water Acquired Antero Reservoir and Highline Canal

In 1924, Denver Water acquired the Antero Reservoir in Park County, Colorado, and the Highline Canal for $450,000.

1926: Surveying of the Site

In 1926, the site where the South Fork of South Platte River enters Eleven Mile Canyon was surveyed for the Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir project.

1927: Plans Filed for Roberts Tunnel

In 1927, plans for the Roberts Tunnel were first filed with the Colorado State Engineer.

1930: Construction of Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir Began

In 1930, construction began on the Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir.

1931: Reservoirs Drained

In the fall of 1931, the reservoirs were completely drained due to low water flows during the droughts of the 1930s in Colorado.

1932: Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir Completed

In 1932, the Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir was completed, replacing Cheesman as the largest storage facility in the system.

October 1933: Application to Public Works Administration (PWA)

In October 1933, the city applied to the Public Works Administration (PWA) to fund the transmountain water diversion project using the Moffat Tunnel.

March 1934: Dust Storm Swept into Denver

On March 26, 1934, a dust storm, part of the larger Dust Bowl, swept into Denver, prompting conservation drives while plans were made to divert water from western Colorado.

1935: Moffat Tunnel Extension Unit Started

In 1935, the second part of the project, the Moffat Tunnel Extension Unit, was started. This tunnel takes water from the exit of the first tunnel out of Big Dry Creek and into the Ralston Creek watershed for delivery to Denver.

June 1936: Water Began Flowing Through Moffat Tunnel

On June 19, 1936, water began flowing from west to east through the completed water tunnel of the Moffat Tunnel project.

1937: Moffat Tunnel Extension Unit Completed

In 1937, the Moffat Tunnel Extension Unit was completed, diverting water from Big Dry Creek into the Ralston Creek watershed for delivery to Denver.

1938: Williams Fork Reservoir Completed

In 1938, the Williams Fork Reservoir was completed as part of the Gumlick Tunnel project to store water for downstream calls.

1939: Completion of Gumlick Tunnel

In 1939, the second transmountain diversion was completed under Jones Pass, known today as the Gumlick Tunnel, to divert water from the Williams Fork into Clear Creek.

June 1946: Ground Breaking Ceremony Held for Roberts Tunnel

On June 24, 1946, a ground breaking ceremony was held for the Roberts Tunnel.

August 1951: "Blue Line" Went Into Effect

In August 1951, the "blue line" went into effect, announcing a geographic limit to the area where Denver Water would contract to provide water.

1952: Denver Gained a Right to Blue River Water

In 1952, Denver Water gained a right to Blue River water, but only half as much as initially claimed and with a priority dated to the formal start of tunnel work in 1946.

August 1955: Gross Reservoir Dam Dedicated

On August 2, 1955, the Gross Reservoir dam was dedicated.

1955: Bonds Issued for Roberts Tunnel

In 1955, bonds for $75 million were issued by Denver to construct the Roberts Tunnel project.

1957: New taps required to be metered

In 1957, all new taps were required to be metered.

1958: Vasquez Tunnel Completed

In 1958, the Vasquez Tunnel was completed, moving water diverted from the West Slope into Clear Creek back to the West Slope in the Frazer River, allowing water from the Williams Fork River to be fed into the northern system through the Moffat Tunnel.

1959: Williams Fork Reservoir Expanded

In 1959, the Williams Fork Reservoir was expanded to its present size and had a generating plant added.

April 1960: Clearing the Land for Dillon Reservoir Started

On April 22, 1960, after the engineering plans for the reservoir were complete, clearing the land started for the Dillon Reservoir.

1960: "Blue Line" Repealed

In 1960, the "blue line" was repealed, and the city charter was amended to allow water contracts longer than one year.

May 1962: Roberts Tunnel Completed

In May 1962, the Roberts Tunnel was completed.

July 1963: Dillon Reservoir Completed

In July 1963, the Dillon Reservoir was completed.

September 1963: Gates Closed to Begin Filling Dillon Reservoir

On September 3, 1963, the gates of the Dillon Dam were closed to begin filling the lake, but lawsuits continued.

1964: Roberts Tunnel Project Lawsuits Settled

In 1964, the lawsuits to prevent the completion or filling of the dam were finally settled out of court, and the Roberts Tunnel project started diverting water.

1965: South Platte River flood

In 1965, the South Platte River in Denver flooded.

1966: Bureau of Reclamation Proposed New Dam

In 1966, the Bureau of Reclamation proposed the construction of a large new dam just below the confluence of the north and south forks of the South Platte River.

1971: Lead pipes banned

Lead pipes were banned in 1971.

1972: Denver Water Proposed a Water Treatment Plant

In 1972, the Denver Water board started to put the pieces in place for its own project which included a much larger water treatment plant and the Strontia Springs Reservoir to settle water for it.

1977: Water Restrictions Implemented

In 1977, Denver Water put in place water restrictions and reduced the number of new taps allowed by one third.

1977: Foothills Settlement Decree with the EPA

In 1977, the Foothills Settlement Decree with the Environmental Protection Agency required a program of water conservation.

1979: Lawsuits Settled Through Negotiation

In 1979, the lawsuits surrounding the construction of the Foothills Water Treatment Plant and the Strontia Springs Reservoir were settled through negotiation.

1981: Xeriscape coined

In 1981, Nancy Leavitt, a secretary working for Denver Water, coined the word xeriscape from the Greek xeros meaning dry and also the botanical meaning of drought combined with landscape.

July 1982: Two Forks Dam project agreement finalized

In July 1982, Denver Water and suburban water providers finalized the Two Forks Dam project agreement. The Metropolitan Water Development Agreement apportioned the costs and benefits of the project, with Denver supporting 20% and suburban providers the remainder. The plan proposed a 615 ft tall structure to hold water for 400,000 more people.

1982: Per capita water use unchanged

In 1982, the per capita water use in the Denver Water's service area remained consistent with previous years, averaging 188 US gallons (712 L) per person per day.

1983: New Reservoir and Treatment Plant Completed

By the summer of 1983, both the new Strontia Springs Reservoir and the Foothills Water Treatment Plant were completed.

1986: Denver Water files for Two Forks permits

In 1986, with costs approaching $30 million, the Denver Water board filed for the permits to build Two Forks.

August 1989: EPA report released

On August 29, 1989, Lee DeHihns, the regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, released a report reviewing the Two Forks project. The report found that the adverse effects would be unacceptable and that the project was partly or entirely unnecessary.

November 1990: EPA vetoes Two Forks project

On November 23, 1990, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, William K. Reilly, announced the agency's veto of the Two Forks project after public comment about the report. President George H. W. Bush backed this decision as part of his care for the environment.

1990: Higher water rates introduced

In 1990, higher water rates were introduced for customers using larger amounts of water.

1991: Challenge to veto unsuccessful

In 1991, suburban water districts filed suit to challenge the veto but were unsuccessful.

1991: Denver Water reconsiders public relations

Prior to 1991 the agency had thought it a waste to spend money on public relations with the citizens or to persuade public officials.

April 1992: Op-ed published in The Denver Post

On April 25, 1992, Hubert Farbes, the President of the Denver Water Board, published an op-ed in The Denver Post about a new path for the Denver Water Board after the EPA's veto of the Two Forks project.

1992: All homes have water meters installed

By 1992, all homes had water meters installed, allowing for the introduction of higher rates for customers using larger amounts of water which started in 1990.

1994: Barry meets with irrigators

In 1994, Barry met with irrigators from the Grand Junction, Colorado area to address their concerns over the saltier water that would be released from Wolford.

1996: Xeriscape Plant Guide published

In 1996, Denver Water published the Xeriscape Plant Guide in collaboration with the American Water Works Association.

1996: Buffalo Creek fire

In 1996, the Buffalo Creek fire burned above the Strontia Springs Reservoir.

2002: Hayman Fire burns

In 2002, the Hayman Fire burned an enormous area in the South Platte River basin and reached the edge of Cheesman Reservoir.

2002: Per person water use decreases

In the 2000s the average per person water use started to come down. Prior to 2002 the per person rate, including industrial and commercial uses with residential uses, was averaging 211 US gallons (799 L) per day. This dropped by 19% to 171 US gallons (647 L) per day.

2003: Application for permits to raise dam height

In 2003, Denver Water applied for the permits necessary to raise the height of the dam.

2010: Replanting mountainsides

In 2010, Denver Water began replanting mountainsides with drought-resistant trees in order to better maintain its waterways.

2017: Permission received from Federal Government

In 2017, Denver Water received permission from the Federal Government.

2021: Boulder settles with Denver

In 2021, Boulder finally settled with Denver, getting and additional $12.5 million in funds for reducing environmental and residential impacts.

2021: Denver Water estimates lead pipes

In 2021, Denver Water officials estimated that there are between 64,000 and 84,000 homes still being serviced with lead pipes.

2024: Service lines replaced

As of 2024 the total number of service lines replaced was 21,000.

2024: Storage Capacity of Denver Water System

As of 2024, Denver Water's storage capacity consists of 17 reservoirs, lakes, or storage complexes, with 90% of the system's storage capacity feeding into the southern collection system and the remaining 10% collected through the Moffat Tunnel and stored in Gross Reservoir.