Platte Canyon WSD

The Environmental Protection Agency mandates that community water providers serving the same residents year-round deliver consumer confidence reports to their customers. These documents, also known as annual water quality reports, summarize information about water sources, detected contaminants, compliance status, and educational information.

Water Source Information: Denver's municipal water comes from high-quality mountain snow runoff that feeds rivers, lakes, streams, reservoirs, and springs. Denver Water's supply is 100% surface water from a watershed spanning 4,000 square miles on both sides of the Continental Divide.

Mountain Water Resources: Denver Water draws from the South Platte River and its tributaries, streams feeding Dillon Reservoir, and waterways above the Fraser River. Water is stored in five mountain reservoirs (Antero, ElevenMile Canyon, Cheesman, Dillon, and Major) before being delivered to one of three treatment facilities through an intricate network of streams, canals, and pipelines.

Distribution System: After treatment, water travels by gravity and pumps through an underground network of clear-water reservoirs before reaching homes and businesses. Over 3,500 miles of pipeline distribute water to Denver Water customers.

Source Water Assessment: The state health department has completed an evaluation of potential contaminants reaching Denver Water's three terminal reservoirs at Strontia Springs, Marston and Ralston. Potential contamination sources include: EPA Areas of Concern, Wastewater Discharge Sites, Storage Tank Sites, Waste Sites, Mine Sites, Commercial/Industrial/Transportation facilities, Residential areas, Urban Recreational Grasses, Quarries, Agricultural operations, Forests, Septic Systems, Oil/Gas Wells and Roadways.

Water Quality Commitment: Denver Water serves high-quality water to 1.4 million people in Denver and surrounding suburbs. Since 1918, they've professionally planned and operated a complex system delivering clean, safe water. As Colorado's oldest and largest water utility, Denver Water covers more than 360 square miles while using less than 2% of all water in the state to serve 25% of Colorado's population.

Quality Control Process: Water quality is taken extremely seriously. Last year, over 35,000 samples were collected with more than 68,000 tests conducted to ensure water safety and cleanliness. Denver Water protects mountain water supplies and carefully treats water before it reaches your tap.

The Five-Step Treatment Process:

1. COAGULATION/FLOCCULATION: Raw water from reservoirs enters mixing basins where alum and polymer are added, causing small particles to combine into larger particles.
2. SEDIMENTATION: These larger particles become heavy enough to settle to the basin bottom where sediment is removed.
3. FILTRATION: Water passes through layers of fine granulated materials (sand or sand and coal), removing smaller particles and reducing turbidity.
4. DISINFECTION: Disinfectant is added as protection against remaining microorganisms before water enters the distribution system. Fluoride occurs naturally but is also added to treated water.
5. CORROSION CONTROL: pH is adjusted with alkaline substances to minimize corrosion in distribution pipes and household plumbing.

Health Information: All municipal water, including bottled water, may reasonably contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants doesn't necessarily indicate health risks. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Vulnerable Populations: Some individuals may be more susceptible to contaminants than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS patients, elderly individuals, and infants may face increased infection risks. These individuals should seek advice about water consumption from healthcare providers.

Lead in Water Information: Since 1992, Denver Water has tested homes at risk for lead and copper contamination per EPA standards. The source water, treated water leaving plants, and water in the distribution system contain no detectable lead and only trace copper amounts. Lead typically enters water through lead-containing household plumbing.

Risk factors include:

• Homes built before 1951 may have lead service lines connecting water mains to homes
• Homes built before 1987 may have lead solder in plumbing (banned in 1986)
• Softened water is more aggressive toward household plumbing

Lead exposure poses serious health risks, especially for pregnant women and young children. When water sits for several hours, flush your tap for about 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If concerned about lead, consider water testing. More information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Cryptosporidium and Giardia Testing: Denver Water has tested for these microscopic organisms in both raw and treated water since the 1980s. No reasonable indication of either has ever been detected in treated water. These organisms can cause gastrointestinal symptoms and are typically transmitted through means other than drinking water. Denver Water removes these organisms through effective filtration, and Giardia is also killed during disinfection.

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