Denver Water completed the Northwater Treatment Plant in June 2024, on schedule and under budget. The 75 MGD plant replaces the Moffat Treatment Plant, built in the 1930s, and is designed to expand to 150 MGD.
Built for less energy and fewer chemicals
Northwater uses deeper filter beds, which run longer between cleanings, and ultraviolet disinfection, which reduces the time, space and chemicals needed. Denver Water says the plant uses 52% less energy than industry norms. Under most conditions, a hydropower generator lets the plant produce enough renewable energy for its own operations, with a surplus for the grid. It also has two 10-million-gallon storage tanks.
Part of a wider energy position
Denver Water has 26.5 MW of renewable capacity across nine sites and a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by the end of 2030, adopted by its Board on November 6, 2024. Its hydropower articles report about 65 million kWh of hydropower a year.
Renewal, not simple expansion
Denver Water's key facts page still lists three plants with a combined 600 MGD: Marston at 200 MGD, Moffat at 120 MGD and Foothills at 280 MGD. Because Northwater was built to replace Moffat, it renews north-side capacity rather than simply adding to it. Its design headroom to 150 MGD is an option for the future, not an announced expansion.
Whether Denver Water will use Northwater's headroom, and how treatment, storage and metering plans fit together under drought, are examined in the second edition of the report. The full report, Water Utility of the Future: Denver Water, is available for USD 499 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/water-utility-of-the-future-denver-water. For a free overview, read the Denver Water Utility Snapshot at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/utilities/denver-water.