At Denver Water, we take environmental stewardship seriously, every single day. This means we are always taking measures big and small to protect and care for our Earth.

1. April 22 is Earth Day.
But shouldn’t every day be
Earth Day?
After all, not a lot of life
happens without our world.
To recognize that, here are
just a few of the ways Denver
Water works to make life on
Earth more friendly.

2. Make a registered
‘treadmark’
We don’t just want to track
our greenhouse gas
footprint. We want our
records to inform our efforts
to lighten our tread.
We are part of The Climate
Registry, a nonprofit
collaboration that sets
consistent standards to
calculate, verify and publicly
report greenhouse gasses.
For water utilities, this can
include data for pumping,
fuel or water treatment (such
as our Moffat plant, shown
here).

3. Capture the
movement
Even before it reaches your
tap, moving water can
perform a service. Our
system has seven
hydroelectric plants (including
one at Gross Reservoir,
shown here), which are able
to generate more than
enough to power all of
Denver’s pump stations,
water treatment plants and
more.

4. Conservation
commitments
Water conservation is a
mainstay method for
maximizing our water-smart
ways. Decades of
commitment to conservation
has earned Denver Water
recognition as a leader, but
the real achievers are our
customers.
Keep up the commitment by
checking out these tips and
tools, and be sure to take
advantage of our rebates for
high-efficiency sprinkler
nozzles (like the one shown
here) and more.

5. Win over waste
All four of our treatment
plants are winners, thanks to
recent recognition from the
state’s Bronze Environmental
Leadership Program for a
significant single-year
project.
In 2014, our Foothills,
Marston and Moffat (shown
here) plants reduced
hazardous waste disposal by
nearly 4,200 pounds. And our
Recycling Plant helped save
nearly 2 billion gallons of
potable water.

6. Take a second look
Recycling has changed a
lot for the environment, and
we apply it to what we
know best. We supply high-
quality recycled water for
outdoor and industrial
uses, which leaves more
drinking water available for
your tap.
Plus, adding recycled
water to the system meant
the need for new pipes,
shown here in purple. Who
wouldn’t want to show a
little Rockies-colored spirit?

7. Consider the
source
Our engagement in
watershed protection
collaborations means we’re
working hard to protect the
health of our water at the
source, such as Cheesman
Reservoir (shown here) and
other parts of our collection
system. Efforts for the
Upper South Platte
encourage community-
based strategies to help
keep drinking water safe
from contamination (such as
chemical spills and forest
fires).

8. Make history
Hear ye, hear ye! The
Colorado River Cooperative
Agreement heralds a new
approach to water in the
West. Our collaborations with
the West Slope bring strength
and health to Colorado’s
rivers and streams. This
evolving effort recently met a
major milestone with a
decree to secure and
preserve environmental water
flows in the Fraser, Williams
Fork and Colorado rivers.
Expect many more
milestones to come.

9. Earth Day should not
be reduced to a
greeting card.
We work to celebrate and
support the environment every
day — and we have lots of fun
along the way. (Just ask our
climate scientist, Laurna Kaatz,
shown here sharing her
connection with water.)
After all, following the frenzy of
Colorado’s spring weather can
lead to a love for snow and a
penchant for juicy snowflakes.
We even like to think that folks
can find a fondness for efficient
toilets.
Happy Earth Day!